230 Fourth Conference 



I do not see how it is possible to obtain any distinct 

 idea of plant-life if a teacher has never seen stomata, 

 root-hairs, or pollen grains. His knowledge, if he 

 has not actually seen the things which he describes, 

 must be dull and superficial. Then, also, for future 

 study, a microscope training is desirable. It is the 

 deadly dulness of a country winter that tends to 

 make teachers prefer a town life, and unconsciously 

 bias their pupils in the same direction. With a micro- 

 scope a continuous study of plant-life is possible all 

 the year round, and this is a very great advantage, 

 as it prevents the disuse of the subject during seven 

 months of the year. 



It is, however, especially with regard to future de- 

 velopments and advanced classes that a preliminary 

 microscope training becomes important. I do not 

 despair of eventually seeing a capable and humble- 

 minded scientist in every large school in every agri- 

 cultural district in Scotland. The importance of such 

 possibilities should alone make us very careful to 

 preserve solid and thorough instruction in our classes. 

 The excursions are considered to be exceedingly 

 important, and also a very difficult part of our work. 

 The continual occurrence in them of all sorts of un- 

 foreseen plants and phenomena is invaluable to both 

 teacher and pupil, and gives a wholesome idea of the 

 magnitude of Nature-study. 



In the laboratory and on excursions from ten to 

 fourteen students are placed under a demonstrator, 

 and I relieve these demonstrators, though not in a 

 regular succession. It is quite possible to have 

 thorough supervision and maintain a good class-spirit 

 in this manner. 



