2 THE TEACHING BOTANIST 



to form so valuable an element in the discipline of the 

 primary schools, and so excellent a preparation for the 

 proper study of the subjects as Sciences later. It is 

 limited rather to that systematic, complete, well-propor- 

 tioned presentation of the salient facts and principles 

 of Botany essential to its treatment as a Science. Such 

 a treatment the best colleges aim to give in their gen- 

 eral or elementary courses, and its equivalent they are 

 beginning to expect from the preparatory schools as 

 an optional entrance requirement. The time, therefore, 

 has come for opening up the question, What is the 

 Optimum of training and knowledge in an ideal ele- 

 mentary course in the Science of Botany, and how 

 may it most economically be realized ? 



At the outset it may be thought of little use to 

 attempt to point out an optimum treatment for this or 

 any Science, since the Optimum must necessarily be 

 subjective and vary with place and person, and since, 

 also, various practical reasons, such as imperfect train- 

 ing of teachers, different standards of colleges and 

 communities, lack of proper facilities, must oftener than 

 not prevent the attainment of any high standard. To 

 this it may be answered that the practical difficulties 

 are constantly and rapidly lessening ; that colleges and 

 communities are tending to become more uniform in 

 the essentials of their requirements ; that, moreover, 

 an objective Optimum for the treatment of this as of 

 any Science, difficult though it may be to establish it, 



