2 INTRODUCTORY 



through the study of plant breeding for the development of new 

 and valuable varieties of crop plants of various kinds, (3) 

 through the studies of chemistry and physics for the determin- 

 ing of the relationship of the plant to water, temperature, light, 

 air and other environmental factors (i.e., plant physiology), (4) 

 through the study of geology for the relationship of the distribu- 

 tion of plants to the earth surface (i.e., plant geography). 



The word " botany " is derived from the Greek word 

 " bosko," meaning " I eat," and is significant of the importance 

 of plants to mankind. All animal life is dependent either di- 

 rectly or indirectly on plants for its food and man is dependent 

 on the plant not only for food but also for clothing, fuel, much 

 of his building material and about 90 per cent of his drugs. 



Since plant life is necessary for the existence of all animal 

 life, including mankind, it is very evident that agriculture is 

 the primary and most important industry of the human race 

 and that its 1 highest development is dependent on a knowledge 

 of plants and plant growth. The increase in population with 

 its demands on agriculture for food, clothing and other neces- 

 sities of life will make a thorough knowledge of botany of more 

 and more importance. 



Botany is divided scientifically into the following branches : 



(a) Morphology, which treats of the form and structure 

 (anatomy) of plants and includes histology, treating of the micro- 

 scopic structure, and embryology, treating of the origin and de- 

 velopment of the young plant. It involves a study of the structure 

 of the different parts in their development from seed to fruit- 

 ing. It takes into consideration both the very simple forms of 

 plant life and the very complex and highly developed forms and 

 aids' in establishing their relationship and evolutionary history. 



