OF BOTANY. 3 



trated by analyzing a plain, simple flower/ with which 

 each of your auditors should b'e supplied. Let them be 

 shewn the method by which you arrive at the generic 

 name and general properties of the plant by merely in- 

 specting its flower. Inform them of the fact, that ai- 

 t hough several hard terms are used in this analysis, it is 

 not necessary ever to encumber the memory with but ve- 

 ry few of them. That the language of Botany is so defi- 

 nite and precise, that few terms are sufficient for distin- 

 guishing any one plant from all others, which are readi- 

 ly looked out in a Botanical Dictionary, or other vocabu- 

 lary, while we are going on with the analysis. The un- 

 reasonable horrors excited by our forbidding terminology 

 will thus be removed $ and your hearers will perceive the 

 object of the science, so far as to be able to judge of the 

 expediency of patronizing you. 



During the course it is advisable to have your lectures 

 and examination exercises alternate with each other. 

 Perhaps the former at 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning, and 

 the latter at 5 or 6 o'clock in the afternoon. At your ex- 

 amination meetings, always have the whole class analyze 

 two or three of the plants described in these exercises. 

 Give each a few flowers of the same kind, and assure them 

 it is contained somewhere in this book. Then let each 

 pursue the search alone, and shew you the supposed 

 name, without making it known to the members of the 

 class. 



At every examination exercise question all the mem- 

 bers of the class, (except those whom you excuse on ac- 

 cou nt of age or for other reasons) upon subjects previous- 

 ly explained. Let the remainder of the time be spent in 

 labelling plants for the herbarium from your dictum. Be. 

 sure to have every student make an herbarium containing 

 both exotic and indigenous plants, and cause all the plants 

 to be neatly preserved, and very small labels to be loop- 

 ed upon each specimen. 



At your lecture exercise, explain the elementary organs 

 and illustrate them by specimens also the subdivisions 

 of the calyx, corol, stamen, pistil and pericarp. But 

 confine several of your first lectures to the illustration of 

 the classes and orders taking no further notice of the 

 subdivisions of the elementary organs, than is essential 

 to these illustrations. Never detain your students one 



AS 



