Nature-Study with Plants 73 



tive number of leaves, form and size of leaves, 

 root habit, abundance of bloom, length of flower 

 stems.). It is a practice in some schools to teach 

 mathematics by means of dandelions, on the mis- 

 taken notion that nature-study is being taught; 

 putting the word dandelion into problems, 

 where the words stone, book, box or knife might 

 just as well be used, is only verbal substitution 

 and will have little effect on the pupil's relation 

 to dandelions except to make him dislike them. 

 Having known one kind of common plant, 

 the pupil may well study plant societies how 

 plants live together, and why. Every distinct 

 or separate area has its own plant society. 

 There is one association for the hard-tramped 

 door-yard knotweed and broad-leaved plantain 

 with interspersed grass and dandelions; one for 

 the fence-row briers and choke-cherries and 

 hiding weeds ; one for the dry open field wire- 

 grass and mullein and scattered docks; one for 

 the slattern roadside sweet clover and rag- 

 weed and burdock; one for the meadow swale 

 smartweed and pitchforks; one for the barn- 

 yard rank pigweed and sprawling barn-grass; 



