REPORT OF THE PROFESSOR OF BOTANY. xlv 



"A conservatory and a fine botanic garden, including aquatic plants, a few steps 

 .away, and a virgin flora in the vicinity, furnish plenty of excellent material. The 

 herbarium and library in the same building are fair size. This laboratory has long 

 been noted for the observant and independent work of its students. 



" Those only for Michigan Agricultural College and Cornell University have been 

 designed exclusively for botany. * * * 



" One way is to use a text-book or lectures, and then dii'ect all laboratory work to- 

 wards the so-called 'analysis' of plants, which means, of course, the comparison and 

 naming of phanerogams. This may be called the oldest method, and is vastly better 

 than nothing. Another plan is to have the laboratory work all directed towards the 

 examination of parts called for in lectures, such as leaves, branches, roots, etc. This 

 method is practiced in two ways, either as corroborating statements already given in 

 lectures, or preliminary to such statements. The latter is much the better way, and 

 has been well elaborated by Prof. Beal in his paper on ' Tlie New Botany.' 



" For work extending through a greater time, such as is obtained in well equipped 

 botanical laboratories, the following courses, already in use in different institutions, are 

 presented. No names are used, as the courses are only selected as types. 



[Five types are given, one of which is that followed here. — W. J. B.] 



"Beginners are started by having them examine a flower, a seed, a plantlet, a naked 

 branch, anything, in fact, that is convenient or in season. Reports of the discoveries 

 made are given before the class and discussed, the teacher directing all these results 

 toward definite and correct conclusions No order of text is followed, but simply the 

 order of convenience. The literature of the subjects examined is constantly considted, 

 though generally after the examination has been made. Soon some topic is assigned, 

 which the student must ' work up ' by observation and present in a final paper. 



" For advanced students the work is of a similar nature, but closer observation is de- 

 manded and a stricter attention to details, and the study or comparison of structures is 

 strongly urged. 



" We venture to predict that at the end of the next decade, much more attention will 

 be given to physiological botany. For this more appliances are needed than our labo- 

 ratories now possess. 



" We cannot too strongly emphasize the importance of having the botanical library in 

 the laboratory, that the student may at least become acquainted with the names of 

 writers and their books, and best of all with the literature of the subjects they are in- 

 vestigating. 



' ' Several teachers desire to learn subjects which have been of use in the work of 

 special students. [Several topics are named. — W. J. B.] In addition to these attention 

 -should be called to the subjects suggested by Prof. Beal in his ' New Botany,' akeady 

 referred to." 



Seeing the illustrated article above referred to, the editor of the Michigan 

 Moderator, a State teachers' magazine, wished to [use the cut and notice our 

 botanical department. A fine article appeared. Then the editor of Park's 

 Floral Magazine, of Pennsylvania, made a simihir request, which was granted. 

 The notice was a very flattering one, and very likely went a little beyond what 

 the facts would warrant. 



I make one quotation, because it expresses my ideal of the kind of work a 

 teacher should aim at : 



" The point in which Dr. Beal excels as an instructor is that of leading his students to 

 observe and think for themselves He believes in studying nature, rather than books, 

 and his efforts are always directed towards developing the mind of the student by in- 

 ducing habits of careful observation." 



The next, from the Botanical Gazette, is much like the above : 



" Dr. Beal sets all his students to work, and the results of their observations form no 

 mean contribution to botanical science." 



Hon. C. W. Garfield, class of '70, Secretary of the State Horticultural So- 

 ciety, of the American Pomological Society, and editor of the Michigan Horti- 

 culturist, also requested the use of the cut of the laboratory, which he used in 

 the July number of the Horticulturist. I take extracts from the magazine: 



