PREFACE vil 



If it is desired to take only a part of the plant biology, 

 Chapters VI, XIV, XX, XXIII, XXIV may be omitted, 

 and also perhaps parts of other chapters (as of X, XII, 

 XIII) if the time is very short. The important point is 

 to give the pupil a rational conception of what plants are 

 and of their main activities ; therefore, the parts that deal 

 with the underlying life processes and the relation of the 

 plant to its surroundings should not be omitted. 



If more work is wanted it is best to provide the extra 

 work by means of the study of a greater abundance of 

 specimens rather than by the addition of more texts ; but 

 the teacher must be careful not to introduce too much 

 detail until the general subject has first been covered. 



The value of biology study lies in the work with the 

 actual things themselves. It is not possible to provide 

 specimens for every point in the work, nor is it always 

 desirable to do so ; for the beginning pupil may not be 

 able to interest himself in the objects, and he may become 

 immersed in details before he has arrived at any general 

 view or reason of the subject. Great care must be exer- 

 cised that the pupil is not swamped. Mere book work or 

 memory stuffing is useless, and it may dwarf or divert 

 the sympathies of active young minds. 



Every effort should be made to apply the lessons to 

 daily life. The very reason for knowing plants and ani- 

 mals is that one may live with them, and the reason for 

 knowing oneself is that he may live his daily life with 

 some degree of intelligence. The teacher should not be 

 afraid to make all teaching useful and practical. 



In many cases a state syllabus designates just what 

 subjects shall be covered ; the topics may be chosen easily 

 from the text, and the order of them is usually left largely 

 to the discretion of the teacher. 



