[ 886-8 7 .] Opemiig A ddress. 



A PEW SUGGESTIONS TO OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS ON HOW TO 

 EQUIP THEMSELVES FOR USEFUL BOTANICAL WORK IN 

 THE FIELD. 



In addressing you to-night, I must claim your indulgence, 

 as I am about to venture to offer our younger members a few 

 suggestions on how to equip themselves for useful botanical 

 work in the field. I have been led to make this attempt for 

 several reasons — the principal of them being, that I fancy my 

 remarks may perhaps induce some to undertake studies that 

 may lead to investigations full of results ; whereas if I con- 

 fined myself simply to narrating the results of some investiga- 

 tions of my own, as I at one time intended, it would have been 

 quite beyond my subject to narrate the studies undertaken be- 

 fore even a partial understanding of the things observed could 

 be obtained. I cannot pretend to be a very capable teacher, 

 but I may plead a little practical experience. I cannot treat the 

 subject exhaustively, as time will not permit of my doing so, 

 but I will endeavour to throw out a few hints, and illustrate 

 my subject by the experiences of others as well as myself. 



In the first place, let me say I have invariably found that 

 one of the first questions young naturalists ask themselves 

 when they join a Society such as ours, is — What subject 

 should I take up so as to do useful work ? Perhaps they feel 

 a little shy, and do not care to push themselves forward 

 until invited ; but all the same, they are most anxious to 

 become active workers, and nothing would give them more 

 encouragement than to be taken in hand by some of our more 

 experienced members. Can any of you doubt that if we had 

 such committees as I have just told you of, they would prove 

 most helpful to our new members, whether young or old, by 

 indicating useful fields of research, and by associating them in 

 more intimate relations with kindred spirits in our Society ? 

 But however valuable the friendship and association with 

 brother naturalists may prove, all students of science will 

 remember that they must have an independent equipment 

 of their own, unless they court failure. Natural inclinations 

 and abilities uay go a long way, but having chosen a theme 

 they must have it thoroughly mastered before they can ex- 

 pect to obtain information or results beyond what is already 



