4 Science of Plant Life 



the other. Because so many of the fundamental processes 

 and structures in plants and animals are similar, it is pos- 

 sible to include all living beings in the single science of biology. 

 Yet because plants and animals differ in many important 

 ways, botany and zoology may well be considered as distinct 

 sciences. 



How a knowledge of botany helps us. A knowledge of 

 botany contributes directly to our enjoyment of life, because 

 the more we know about plants, the more interest and mean- 

 ing we find in every bit of vegetation. Botany helps us to 

 understand the animal world, also, for plants and animals 

 are so nearly related that much of what we learn in botany 

 applies, with slight modifications, to animals as well as to 

 plants. 



Botany has great practical value also ; it furnishes the 

 scientific basis for many of the most important of human oc- 

 cupations. For example, agriculture and horticulture are 

 arts dealing with the methods of field and garden crop pro- 

 duction; they tell how and when a crop shall be planted, 

 cared for, and harvested ; but it is botany that furnishes the 

 scientific knowledge on which these arts are based and explains 

 the principles underlying the practices of the gardener and the 

 farmer. Botany does not tell us of the methods to be used 

 by the forester in developing timber; but no forester can 

 practice intelligently or invent new and better methods with- 

 out understanding the principles of botany. How to make 

 a city or farm dwelling sanitary is an engineering problem ; 

 but the engineer must be thoroughly familiar with at least 

 the part of botany which deals with the bacteria, if he is to 

 be intelligent in his work. Botany, therefore, is of great 

 practical importance in our daily life ; without a knowledge 



