NATURE-STUDY WITH PLANTS 47 



familiar, then endeavor to determine where it 

 grows, why it grows there, how it is modified in 

 different circumstances. If it is a dandelion, one 

 lesson may be devoted to dandelions in the school- 

 yard ; another to dandelions in the meadow ; 

 another to dandelions along hard and dry roadsides ; 

 another to dandelions in rich farmyards and 

 gardens ; another to dandelions in the borders of 

 woodlands. Compare the relative abundance of 

 dandelions in these different places : why ? Do 

 the plants "look'' the same in these different 

 places : how differ and why ? (Note the size and 

 form of plants, relative number of leaves, form 

 and size of leaves, root habit, abundance of bloom, 

 length of flower stems.) 



Having known one kind of common plant, the 

 pupil may well study plant societies — how plants 

 live together, and why. Every distinct or separate 

 area has its own plant society. There is one 

 association for the hard-tramped dooryard — knot- 

 weed and broad-leaved plantain with interspersed 

 grass and dandelions ; one for the fence-row — 

 briers and choke-cherries and hiding weeds ; one 

 for the dry open field — wire-grass and mullein and 

 scattered docks; one for the slattern roadside — 

 sweet clover and ragweed and burdock ; one for 

 the meadow swale — smartweed and pitchforks ; 

 one for the barnyard— rank pigweeds and sprawling 

 barn-grass ; one for the dripping rock-cliff— delicate 

 bluebells and hanging ferns and grasses. Indefi- 

 nitely might these categories be extended. We all 

 know the plant societies, but we have not thought 



