Coulter • Development of Botany in the United States 19 



engaged in keeping their phase of perimental control, and their various 



botany up to date. activities evoked. The important gen- 



The next phase of botany to begin eral functions which engaged physio- 

 its development was morpholog}', the logical research were the absorption of 

 study of structures. This start was made material and of energ}' from the outside 

 under the influence of European world; the transfer of water through 

 contacts. In those days botany was the plant body; transpiration, by 

 progressing rapidly in Europe. The means of which water is lost from the 

 American botanists visited European plant surface; photosynthesis, by which 

 laboratories, and returned to this coun- carbohydrates are manufactured; diges- 

 tr\' equipped for a new kind of investi- tion and assimilation; respiration, by 

 gation. Morpholog}' should probably means of which energy is liberated for 

 be regarded as the most fundamental the activities of the body; growth; and 

 subdivision of botany, for it treats the movement. 



structures of plants and their develop- Next in historical succession, ecol- 



ment, and upon these data taxonomy ogy emerged, with its interest in the 



must build. At first morpholog}' dealt effect of environment on plants. This is 



only with the forms of mature plants really a phase of plant physiology. This 



and their organs. phase of botany is about 5^'ears old, 



Gradually another phase of mor- but it has had a ver}^ rapid and exten- 

 phology began to develop. Instead of sive development. Three rather distinct 

 studying mature structures alone, their lines of investigation have been de- 

 development began to be investigated, veloped. One deals with the reactions 

 following much earlier investigations in of plants, tissues, and organs to their 

 certain European laboratories. In this environment, a phase of the subject 

 work, the life histories of plants began called physiologic ecolog}^ A second 

 to be traced, from the egg to maturity, line of ecological investigation has to 



This development of morphology do with the origin, development, and 



began the segregation of botanists that life relations of the plant communities, 



increased rapidly. Botanists were often called plant societies, and is 



grouped as taxonomists and morpholo- called physiographic ecolog}'. The third 



gists, and neither group shared in the line of investigation is concerned with 



work of the other. In fact, at that time the great forest, grass, desert, and other 



the college courses in botany were formations of the earth in relation to 



chiefly morphology, and attention to climate, and is called geographic ecol- 



taxonomy began to decline. og}^ 



The next segregate in botany was The next segregate of the botanical 

 physiolog}'. This phase of work was field was plant patholog}^ which deals 

 also introduced into this country with plant diseases, chiefly those in- 

 through contact with European labora- flicted by other plants. In the mean- 

 tories. Nothing was known of the ac- time bacteriology had developed be- 

 tivities of plants except what had been cause of its relation to human diseases, 

 learned through agricultural and horti- and was hardly considered as a part of 

 cultural operations. The functions of botany. When plant patholog}' began 

 the different plant organs were gradu- to develop, however, as a distinct field 

 ally discovered, and a new technique of investigation, bacteria were inevi- 

 of plant investigation became estab- tably included, at least so far as bacteria 

 lished. Plants were not merely ob- are related to plant diseases. It is of 

 ser\^ed, as in the case of taxonomv and importance to note that plant pathol- 

 morphology, but were put under ex- ogy, as first developed, was interested 



