PLANS FOR BOTANICAL WORK. 61 



(&) Make a study of the life history of a single plant; 

 start corn, beans, peas, sunflowers, morning-glories, 

 etc., to growing; study the needs and behavior of 

 the growing plant, its rapidity of growth, its rela- 

 tion to warmth, light, water, wind, insects, other 

 plants; learn the uses of all its parts; note the 

 circumstances of the unfolding of its buds, leaves, 

 flowers, the formation of its fruit; watch it daily 

 and write down your observations; draw all its 

 organs; investigate its motions and determine 

 their causes and uses. You will often be in the 

 dark about certain phenomena, but the work will 

 be of great interest. 



(c) Cut off parts, such as branches, flowers, leaves; 

 keep them in water and watch closely; plant them 

 to see if they will take root. 



(d) Subject certain plants to various amounts of light, 

 heat, or miter; note their behavior. 



(e) Make special study of the movements of plants; of 

 what use they are; how caused; observe the condi- 

 tions under which blossoms open and close, or 

 leaves turn, or tendrils curl, etc. 



II. Habitats of plants; why some grow here and not 

 there; why some are very common and others re- 

 stricted to very narrow limits; what effect a certain 

 location may have on the plant. 



III. Collect and study certain families or groups, such as 

 violets, roses, cresses, mints, grasses, composites, 

 ferns, mosses, etc. See why they are grouped to- 

 gether, what ties of relationship they have, whether 



