274 The Plant World. 



An idea of nature as it is now, rather than of the course of its 

 development is what most people wish first to secure. If the 

 latter can come with the former, so much the better; but the 

 former is as likely to be incomplete as the latter if the latter re- 

 ceive the major emphasis in the arrangement and conduct of 

 an elementary course in botany in school or college. Further- 

 more, no adequate idea of the vegetation of today can be ob- 

 tained without the sight of living plants in more than micro- 

 scopic masses. Greenhouse, garden and park should not only be 

 drawn upon for material, but intelligently visited; and trips to 

 the fields and woods, even if they resemble picnics, may be pic- 

 nics in which nature receives more emphasis than sport. 



The next two chapters, on the training and on the traits of 

 the good botanical teacher, and on the methods of teaching, should 

 be conscientiously read. I prefer to suggest this wholesome 

 reading rather than prevent it by any summary. 



Then come chapters on drawing and description, on labora- 

 tories and their equipment, on collections and other illustrations 

 and how they may be obtained, and on botanical books and their 

 use. This chapter contains a good bibliography. 



The last chapter treats of some common errors prejudicial to 

 good botanical teaching. Beginning with the ancient miscon- 

 ception of what botany is, Ganong disposes also of the question 

 "of what use is it?" and then passes on to discuss various 

 mis-statements of the facts in morphology and physiology. 



In Part II, Ganong gives the plan for a general elementary 

 course in botany. This is in two divisions, trom which the teach- 

 er is to make and combine selections according to the circum- 

 stances in which he works and in such fashion that his pupils will 

 gain some familiarity with the structure and functions and habits 

 of plants, of the spore-bearing as well as the seed-bearing. In 

 the appendix are given the course in general botany recommended 

 by the Botanical Society of America and adopted by the College 

 Entrance Examination Board, and the course formulated by a 

 committee of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools 

 of the North Central States. 



Here and there throughout the book one finds frank ac- 

 knowledgement of the intellectual stimulus and satisfaction in 

 the study of plants, of a development of mind and character 



