804 General and Applied Biology 



John Burroughs (1837-1921). — American. One of greatest of nat- 

 uralists, having written many books on the lives and habits of living 

 organisms. 



Robert Koch (1843-1910). — German. Bacteriologist and physician. 

 Devised the plate method for obtaining pure cultures of bacteria. Proved 

 the relationship between bacteria and certain diseases (tuberculosis). 



Carl Weigert (1845-1904). — German. Bacteriologist who first used 

 aniline dyes to study microorganisms. 



Luther Burbank (1849-1926). — American. Improved many types of 

 domestic plants by crossing. Created several new varieties of plants. 



HOW SCIENTISTS HAVE SOLVED PROBLEMS 



There have always been and there always will be many problems of 

 various kinds to be solved. In fact, the solution of one problem fre- 

 quently creates other problems which require solution. Some of these 

 problems may be personal and some may seem insignificant, while others 

 may have far-reaching effects. The success of individuals, of groups, of 

 nations depends upon the correct solution of the many problems which 

 confront each. In order to become familiar with some of the problems 

 and their solutions, it may be profitable to read some of the accounts of 

 scientists in connection with the problems which they solved. The selec- 

 tion of the specific problems and their solutions may depend upon the 

 availability of the literature in which they are described, the particular 

 interests and qualifications of the students, and the specific reasons for 

 making such a study. The way in which an article is written must be 

 considered before it may be helpful, because sometimes the author does 

 not always clearly state the detailed steps followed in the solution of his 

 problem. The selection of specific references must be made with great 

 care, or the beginner may not derive the desired benefits from their 

 study. When reading a selected article, watch carefully for such steps 

 as the following: (1) accurate and clear statement of the problem, (2) 

 formulation of working hypotheses and methods of investigation, (3) 

 accurate collection and recording of data and facts, and (4) scientific 

 analysis and correct interpretation of data and facts, from which logical 

 conclusions are drawn. As stated above, certain articles, as written, may 

 not follow the steps suggested above, some steps being left out of the 

 printed report, even though they may have been utilized by the scientist 

 in his work. For purposes of brevity, some reports treat certain steps so 

 briefly that they are not easily recognized. When you read the reference, 



