94 THE A^IERICAX BOTANIST 



ing of \alue is found in a book and the only good teaching is 

 in the sc'r.ool building. The book contains nearly three hundred 

 pages and is well illustrated. It is published by the Acme 

 Publishing Co., Morgantown, W. Va., at 65 cents. 



Another recent nature book is "The Study of Nature" 

 by S. C. Schmucker. This is one of tlie volumes in Lippin- 

 cott's Educational Series, and is designed for the teaclier rath- 

 er than the student. It is divided into three sections consider- 

 ing respectively the theory, the materials and the course. The 

 most noteworthy of these is the section devoted to materials 

 in which will be found much useful matter relating to the 

 plants, animals, etc. To the reviewer the course outlined does 

 not seem particularly strong and the list of "helpful books" 

 is not what would be called a representative one. Teachers, 

 h.owever, will find it a very desirable addition to their books 

 and may gain much help from it. 



In some quarters the loose-leaf system of note-books 

 has taken hold upon the schoolmen and several books have 

 Ijeen issued in response to this demand. One of the latest of 

 these is Meirs' "Plant Study," issued by Ginn & Co. The 

 most important feature of this work is the handy form of 

 binder which makes the addition of new pages or the removal 

 of old ones a very simple matter. At the top of each page 

 are a series of directions for study, and drawings are intended 

 to be made on the blank part of the page. To the reviewer 

 the directions for study seem indefinite to be followed by 

 school children alone, but they may work out well enough in 

 the hands of a competent teacher. The scope of the course 

 outlined is the part of the work open to the most serious ob- 

 jections. It is apparently designed to cover a single half-year 

 m which a large part of the work consists in "analyzing" 

 flowering plants. In most comniunities this form of "botany" 

 is decidedly on the wane and we hope to see it disappear en- 

 tirely in time. Assuming, however, that our public schools are 



