FIRST BOOK OF GRASSES 



INTRODUCTION 



THE purpose of this primer is to give those with 

 little or no knowledge of botany such an understand- 

 ing of the structure of grasses as will enable them to 

 use manuals of botany and other technical works, 

 to the end that our native grasses may become 

 better known and their worth and beauty be more 

 fully appreciated. 



The best method of studying any organisms is to 

 observe and examine the organisms themselves. 

 Since these can not be provided in a book, drawings 

 of the objects studied are here offered as the best 

 substitute. These drawings are purposely somewhat 

 diagrammatic in order to bring out particular char- 

 acters that may be less prominent in the actual 

 plants. While the drawings convey clearer ideas of 

 structure than can words and are to be used con- 

 stantly with the text, they can but inadequately 

 take the place of the plants themselves. The student, 

 therefore, should collect for study as many different 

 kinds of living grasses as possible. 



The idea of a primer has been kept in mind. The 

 subject is presented as simply as possible, and only 

 enough grasses are examined in each lesson to illus- 



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