50 THE TEACHING BOTANIST 



plant geography, the study of the reasons why each 

 plant stands where it is, and is of the form, size, and 

 texture it is. Very attractive, too, are the problems 

 in modes of locomotion of our common plants, and 

 in the mechanisms of cross-pollination of many of 

 them. The construction of a local flora in which each 

 plant is not only listed, but located ecologically, is 

 everywhere possible, and would be both scientifically 

 and subjectively profitable. 



There is yet another line of original research open 

 to the teacher, the investigation into better and more 

 economical ways of utilizing the science in education. 

 There is here opportunity for doing very great ser- 

 vice in the selection and demonstration of the most 

 profitable topics, in the invention of simpler and more 

 logically conclusive experiments for proving the most 

 fundamental principles, in the discovery of more illus- 

 trative materials for the different phases of the study, 

 in a word, for the deduction of such outlines as are 

 offered in this work, and for their great improvement. 

 And this line of investigation is as legitimate, as diffi- 

 cult, and as important for the advancement of botanical 

 science as is the elucidation of vegetative points, chro- 

 mosome numbers, or transpiration currents. 



Not only does the study of original problems increase 

 the teacher's power, but it adds intensely to the interest 

 of his life and profession. The perennial freshness 

 which accompanies constant progress goes far to coun- 



