38 THE TEACHING BOTANIST 



form the introduction to structure is realized in study- 

 ing them side by side, the physiological or ecological 

 observation or experiment accompanying the observa- 

 tional study of structure. Structure, which is some- 

 thing real and placeable in concrete form before the 

 student, and already more or less familiar, will probably 

 always constitute the best skeleton for an elementary 

 course. 



Another scientific faculty of the greatest importance 

 is that of estimating evidence to the formation of con- 

 clusions that are to be held as logically proven, as 

 probable, as possible, etc. For this, again, physiologi- 

 cal experiment is particularly good. Another power 

 is that phase of imagination known as visualization, 

 the ability to project before the mind vivid images 

 of real structures, and to build up complete images 

 from isolated data. For this, microscopic anatomy is 

 particularly well adapted ; the microscope shows at 

 any one time hardly more than a single plane of an 

 object, and it is only from a number of views that 

 an image of the entire object can be constructed. A 

 power of visualization is a great aid to generalization. 

 All of these faculties and powers are elements in 

 Induction, to cultivate the habit or instinct for which 

 is, of course, the first object of the science teacher. 



Another very important power which scientific study, 

 with its basis of exact data, is peculiarly adapted to 



promote is that for terse, logical, complete expression, 

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