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Vol. 9 May, 1913 Xo. .-> 



Field Work on Trees 



A. F. Blakeslee. 



In a previous paper in this journal, attention was called to 

 some of the chief characters of value for the identification of 

 trees in winter. In another place, the writer has discussed in 

 some detail various ways in which the study of trees may be car- 

 ried on. The present brief article must confine itself to some of 

 the methods of tree study that have been suggested by experience 

 with elementary students. No apology need be given for making 

 identificational studies take a prominent part in a child's introduc- 

 tion to the world out of doors. The natural first approach to 

 learning about a tree is finding its name. 



Familiarity with trees may be advanced by class exercises in 

 the field and in the laboratory as well as by individual work un- 

 dertaken by the student. 



Field Work — Field w^ork to be successful must be fully as 

 carefully planned as indoor laboratory work. In order to pre- 

 vent the exercise from degenerating into a mere picnic, the pur- 

 pose of the trip should be definite and the objects to be observed 

 or the problems to be studied not too numerous. It is as important 

 to decide what to leave out as what to include. The ground to be 

 visited should be gone over by the teacher before each excursion 

 for the same reason that demonstration experiments in physics or 

 chemistry must be tried in private in order to insure their success- 

 ful performance before a class. 



Experience has shown that some form of report, though but 

 brief, is as necessary with students out of doors as their records 

 made within the laboratory. Further, the number of students 

 that can be successfully handled on a field trip is a matter to be 



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