1640 Journal of Applied Microscopy 



It is often supposed that to accomplish good work it is necessary to have on 

 hand an expensive equipment and all the facilities which our leading colleges 

 afford. There is. however, plenty of original work that may be done by those 

 who do not have such an equipment, and substantial progress may be made in 

 the general facts of the science with little besides what is indicated below. 



This course will suppose an elementary knowledge of botany equivalent to a 

 half-year course in any good high school. The student should have the follow- 

 ing equipment : 



1. A text-book for general reading, such as Plant Structures (A Second 

 Book of Botany) by John M. Coulter, 1900. 



2. A compound microscope, like the BB4, having a double nose-piece 

 with |-inch and i-inch objectives, and 2-inch and |^-inch eyepieces. 

 The BBS stand with complete substage and triple nose-piece is prefer- 

 able if one can afford to pay the difference in price. 



3. A number of slides and cover-glasses. 



4. A good hand lens or a dissecting microscope. 



5. A good note-book with note paper and smooth drawing paper, and 

 also some bristol board drawing paper for extra fine drawings. (See 

 "The Laboratory Note Book," Journal of Applied Microscopy 3 : 

 887-888.) 



6. Loose writing paper for making temporary records and calculations. 



7. Two good lead pencils, a No. 3H and a No. 6H. It is also desirable 

 to have a bottle of India ink and a crow-quill drawing pen so that some 

 of the drawings may be finished in India ink. 



K. The following instruments are necessary : 

 a. A pair of forceps. 

 h. Several medicine droppers. 



c. Some needles set in wooden or bone handles. 



d. A scalpel. 



e. A razor. 



/. Dishes, watch glasses, and bottles of various sizes. 

 g. Plenty of clean cotton rags and some paper blotters. 

 9. The following simple reagents will be needed : 



a. A small bottle of 50 per cent, aqueous solution of glycerin. 

 l>. A bottle of distilled or pure, boiled water. 



c. lodin solution. 



Make a strong solution of potassium iodide in distilled water ; to 

 this add crystals of iodin until a saturated solution is obtained. 

 This may be diluted with distilled water until it is of a clear red- 

 dish-brown color. 



d. Salt solution, five or ten per cent, aqueous. 



e. A bottle of ninety-five per cent, alcohol. 

 /. Ripart and Petit's solution. 



^'■. Carbolic acid. 

 If a greenhouse is not near, a window garden and aquarium become indis- 

 pensable. Water plants kept in glass jars with some small water animals, as 



