igoi] Craig— Book Notice. 195 



Botany : An elementary text book. By L. H. Bailey. i2mo. 

 Half leather. 500 illustrations. Pages XIV — 335. The Mac- 

 millan Company, N.Y. Price $1.10. 



The amount of literature relating to the study of plants which 

 has appeared during the last five years is truly astonishing. For 

 a quarter of a century or more Gray's Lessons with plants was 

 the standard class-room botany. About the time his "New 

 Manual" was published, in 1887, there appeared also other books 

 presenting the study of botany in quite a different manner. Since 

 that time, each year has marked divergences ot opinion among 

 botanists regarding teaching methods. 



Gray's Lessons did not take up the subject from the present 

 day point of view of botanical science. It is a question with many 

 whether the botanical science standpoint is best for the pupil — 

 the average pupil. There are many text-books for the student of 

 botany. The admirable works of Coulter, Barnes, Atkinson and 

 Canong are written for the college student. There are a few 

 text-books for the pupil. In the present day botany, individuals 

 of the plant kingdom illustrating its lowest and simplest forms are 

 studied first. More complete forms are examined in natural order 

 and regular sequence. This is the logical, scientific method, the 

 one approved by those versed in pedagogy. 



Bailey's Botany " is made for the pupil," so its author an- 

 nounces. "There are four general subjects in the book; The 

 nature of the plant itself; the relation of the plant to its surround- 

 ings; histological studies; determination of the kinds of plants." 

 The author's position on the teaching of botany in the secondary 

 school has no doubt been much influenced by his intimate asso- 

 ciation with the Nature study movement in New York, which in 

 itself has been a great training school, is as follows: "In the 

 secondary schools botany should be taught for the purpose of 

 bringing the pupil closer to the things with which he lives, of 

 widening his horizon, of intensifying his hold on lite. It should 

 begin with familiar plant forms and phenomena. It should be 

 related to the experiences of the daily life. It should not be taught 

 for the purpose of making the pupil a specialist; that effort should 

 be retained for the few who develop a taste for special knowledge. 



