76 The Nature-Study Idea 



persisting weeds, leaf-buds and fruit-buds, bark 

 forms, preparation for spring, tubers and bulbs, 

 seed-sowing and germination, struggle for exist- 

 ence in the tree-top, evergreens and how they 

 shed their leaves, how the different kinds of 

 trees hold the snow, where the herbs and ten- 

 der things are, cones and seed pods, apples and 

 turnips and other things from the cellar, knots 

 and knot-holes, how vines hold to their sup- 

 ports, and others. These subjects are intended 

 only as suggestions of the kind of work that 

 may be taken up with profit. 



As far as possible, the study of form and 

 function should go together. Correlate what a 

 part is with what it does. What is this part? 

 What is its office, or how did it come to be? 

 It were a pity to teach phyllotaxy without teach- 

 ing light-relation : it were an equal pity to teach 

 light-relation without teaching phyllotaxy. 



There are those who discourage the teaching 

 of plant societies until the pupil is well grounded 

 in "physiology"; but this, again, is the science- 

 teaching point of view. Of course the child 

 cannot understand the fundamental reasons for 



