186 College of Forestry 
Now it is my conviction that this way of viewing vegeta- 
tion at work will prove to be a dynamic idea no matter 
whether one aims merely to enlarge the horizon of mental cul- 
ture by a wider and deeper knowledge of what and how and 
why things are in the plant world, or whether he is enjoying 
the beauty or other qualities of field and forest for the good 
of his mental and physical health, or whether we undertake 
the solution of biological problems such as the control factors 
in bog development, or whether we set out to determine a 
sound policy for dealing with the land as relates to the pur- 
suit of agriculture or the practice of forestry upon it. Cer- 
tainly also, and particularly, the forester will be the better 
able to elaborate a policy of silvicultural practice, of forest 
management and so on if he is able to base his work upon an 
intimate knowledge of the factors —of geologic as well as 
present time — that shape the development of his forest. 
I am concerned, finally, as a long time teacher of botany, 
that this method or phase of botanical study —eall it dy- 
namic botany or plant geography or whatever — should be 
recognized as botany. A good deal of the sort of thing that 
has passed as botany has been of a feeble character which 
tended to rob the subject of the record for virility which is 
due it. On the other hand, some of the intensive laboratory 
courses which have been evolved as educational means, have 
left the student of botany without orientation in the world of 
out-door plants. We have at length, in any event, to study 
growing plants in all possible environments and relations in 
order to interpret yet more of the details which shall enlarge 
the sum of our knowledge of the story of plant life. Cer- 
tainly we may with profit pursue some of these studies in the 
field to which these pages aspire to offer an introduction. 
