THE EARLY STUDY OF PLANTS. 751 



continuous growth of a plant from the seed. The study of life is a study 

 of events, of dynamics, of catastrophes. The earliest observation per- 

 ceives the extraordinary influence of the surrounding medium upon 

 the destinies of the living organism. It is not difficult to surround 

 these destinies with such a halo of imagination as shall impress on 

 the mind a sense of the mystery, sanctity I may acid, the necessary 

 calamities of life before it has become absorbed in the consideration 

 of living personalities." 



The first statement here made contains an error, which, though 

 apparently trivial, involves a serious misunderstanding of the plan of 

 study adopted in my book. Mrs. Jacobi says that, according to the 

 method, " the first object studied is the leaf, and the pupil is brought 

 at once, not only to draw the leaf," etc. This is a mistake. I have 

 not included drawing as a part of the exercise in the study of leaves, 

 have purposely avoided it, and have always insisted that it is a waste 

 of time and a hindrance to the object I had in view. Instead of facili- 

 tating, it impedes the work of observation. The aim is, by the ob- 

 servation of real objects, to form the habit of intelligent discrimina- 

 tion, and such a habit can only be formed by numerous and ideated 

 and continued mental exercises, which, with the young beginner, should 

 be as simple and uncomplicated as possible. The method is one of 

 self-instruction, in which the pupil is put upon a search to find out 

 things for himself, and he has to inspect a great number of objects to 

 identify, compare, and describe their special characters. Plants were 

 chosen because of the almost endless detail of varying structure which 

 their parts present, and which can only be made familiar by the ex- 

 amination, comparison, and contrast of a great many of them. This 

 forbids the delay entailed by the drawing of specimens, and to insist 

 upon the practice would defeat the method. The pupil could not draw 

 one specimen in a hundred of those with which it is necessary that he 

 should become familiar. 



The idea that the parts of plants must be drawn has been the stum- 

 bling-block of teachers in using my books from the outset. It is a mode 

 of evading out-of-door work, the collection of multitudes of plants, 

 and their direct and constant observation and comparison. Mere book- 

 science is now condemned, at least nominally, even in the schools ; but 

 in place of it we have what is no better, blackboard - science and 

 teacher's talk. My books were made simply for the learner's imme- 

 diate use as a guide in the direct study of plants, and they have not the 

 slightest value when used in any other way. Yet some teachers have 

 set children to copy their illustrations- with chalk upon the blackboard, 

 while others have themselves copied them for their classes, the books 

 being withheld from the pupils. One eminent superintendent of edu- 

 cation gravely assured me that my " First Book of Botany " was a 

 book for teachers and not for pupils ; and, in exemplification of this 

 idea, I know an instance of a large school for which one hundred 



