Vlll PREFACE. 



week on which definite instruction was given to the class ; but 

 on Sunday afternoon he used to allow the senior class, and 

 those who got marks at the examinations, to attend at his 

 house. . . . 



Q. Did he find any difficulty in teaching this subject in 

 class ? 



A. None whatever ; less than he would have had in dealing 

 with almost any other subject. 



Q. Do you know in what way he taught it ? did he illus- 

 trate it ? 



A. Invariably ; he made it practical. He made it an ob- 

 jective study. The children were taught to know the plants, 

 and to pull them to pieces ; to give their proper names to the 

 parts ; to indicate the relations of the parts to one another ; 

 and to find out the relation of one plant to another by the 

 knowledge thus obtained. 



Q. They were children, you say, generally from eight to 

 twelve ? 



A. Yes, and up to fourteen. 



Q. And they learned it readily ? 



A. Readily and voluntarily, entirely. 



Q. And were interested in it ? 



A. Extremely interested in it. They were exceedingly fond 

 of it. 



Q. Do you happen to know whether Prof. Henslow thought 

 that the study of Botany developed the faculties of the mind 

 -that it taught these children to think ? and do you know 

 whether he perceived any improvement in their mental facul- 

 ties from that ? 



A. Yes ; he used to think it was the most important agent 

 that could be employed for cultivating their faculties of obser- 

 vation, and for strengthening their reasoning powers. 



Q. He really thought that he had arrived at a practical re- 

 mit! 



A. Undoubtedly; and so did every one who visited the 

 school or the parish ? 



Q. They were children of quite the lower class ? 



A. The laboring agricultural class. 



