PRACTICAL WORK IN BOTANY. 59 



(b) Make a study of the life history of a single 

 plant ; start corn, beans, peas, sunflowers, morn- 

 ing-glories, etc., to growing ; study the needs 

 and behavior of the growing plant, its rapidity 

 of growth, its relation to warmth, light, water, 

 wind, insects, other plants ; learn the uses of 

 all its parts ; note the circumstances of the 

 unfolding of its buds, leaves, flowers, the for- 

 mation of its fruit ; watch it daily and write 

 down your observations ; draw all its organs ; 

 investigate its motions and determine their 

 causes and uses. You will often be in the 

 dark about certain phenomena, but the work 

 will be of great interest. 



(c) Cut off parts, such as branches, flowers, leaves ; 

 keep them in water and watch closely ; plant 

 them to see if they will take root. 



(d) Subject certain plants to various amounts of 

 light, heat or water; note their behavior. 



(e) Make special study of the movements of plants ; 

 of what use they are ; how caused ; observe 

 the conditions under which blossoms open and 

 close, or leaves turn, or tendrils curl, etc. 



II. Habitats of plants ; why some grow here and not 



there ; why some are very common and others re- 

 stricted to very narrow limits ; what effect a cer- 

 tain location may have on the plant. 



III. Collect and study certain families or groups, such 

 as violets, roses, cresses, mints, grasses, compo- 

 sites, ferns, mosses, etc. See why they are grouped 

 together, what ties of relationship they have, 

 whether of size, structure, habitat ; whether cer- 

 tain families are more common in some places 

 than others, and why ? 



IV. Local Flora, the plants of a certain locality, a 

 wood, meadow, railroad-bank, swamp, etc. Follow 



