BOTAN-Y AS IT MAY BE TAUGHT. 373 



species each, and thirteen orders with each a single representative. 

 Sixteen were not indigenous. Observations in all intensities of 

 light and darkness led to a paper upon the " Sleep of Plants." The 

 honey-locust proved a good subject for observation upon these 

 nyctitropic or sleep movements. Two papers were upon the ger- 

 mination of seeds. In one those of pumpkins and beans were 

 selected, and in the other corn and peas. These seeds were planted 

 by the students in deep dishes and placed in their windows. A 

 careful record of daily observations and measurements was kept, 

 the idea being for the students to learn how to conduct careful 

 experiments. A large area on the blackboard, covered with neat 

 drawings of young plants in all stages of germination, illustrated 

 this work to the other members of the class. The student with 

 " Plants having Two Kinds of Flowers " first worked independent 

 of any guide, and finally closed his studies with a review of Dar- 

 win's book upon this subject, a summary of which was presented 

 to the class. Sufiicient study had been given to the subject to 

 greatly increase the interest in the book, and the student volun- 

 teered the remark that it was exceedingly valuable reading. The 

 " Flora of the Dry Beds of Streams " was exceptional, because the 

 season had been one of extreme drought. Fifty species were 

 found, and three fourths were plants common to low ground. 

 Many species of the remaining one fourth were found elsewhere 

 on gravelly banks. A few were water-plants which continued to 

 survive. Twenty-two orders and thirty-eight genera were repre- 

 sented. Two topics in difficult systematic work were assigned, 

 namely, to one student "The Solidagos," and to another "The 

 Asters." A key was formed for the rapid determination of the 

 local representatives of these two genera. Good herbarium speci- 

 mens were prepared of the various species and submitted to the 

 class. We have thirteen species of solidagos, and, of the one hun- 

 dred and fifty asters in the United States, Iowa has twenty-four, 

 fourteen of which are found in the vicinity of the college. 



Several of the topics required microscopic work, and the stu- 

 dents with these spent extra time in the laboratory. A microscop- 

 ic study of " Terminal Buds " revealed the whole plan of a year's 

 growth in such buds as those of the horse-chestnut, where flowers 

 in m.iniature were so numerous that forty could be counted in a 

 single longitudinal section. " Plant-Hairs " was a subject worked 

 almost entirely in the laboratory. A division was first made into 

 those consisting of a single cell and those with more than one. For 

 convenience of further study the subject was again divided into 

 the hairs of flowers, of leaves, of stems, and of roots. The " Seeds 

 of Cruciferous Plants " furnished the pupil subjects for a study 

 into the minute points of classification in the ordinal key of this 

 very natural order, especially as regards accumbent, incumbent. 



