4 A LABORATORY GUIDE FOR GENERAL BOTANY 



ally, there may be stated the inference, that is, the 

 conclusion or conclusions which are thought to be 

 justified by the facts observed. 



The record of an experiment, then, should follow 

 the outline given below: 



1. Object. 



2. Materials and apparatus (with drawings). 



3. Operation. 



4. Observation (with drawings). 



5. Inference. 



6. Remarks. 

 D. The Note-book: 



8. The Note-book serves two purposes: First, the 

 making of it gives you opportunity to acquire 

 facility in describing what you observe. This is 

 not an easy accomplishment, but a very essential 

 one. "The greatest thing a human being ever does 

 in this world" said John Ruskin, "is to see something, 

 and tell what he saw in a plain way" 



9. Secondly, the note-book serves as an index, to the 

 instructor, of what you have done and how well 

 you have done it. In addition to these two pur- 

 poses, the note-book will be a permanent record 

 for your own future use. It should contain a 

 complete record of all you observe, and the infer- 

 ences you make from these observations. It should 

 include written descriptions and drawings. In 

 both the latter the aim should be accuracy, neatness, 

 completeness, conciseness. Above all things, it 

 should be a record of your own observation, not 

 of your neighbor's. If, as may happen on rare 

 occasions, it becomes necessary to use your neigh- 

 bor's notes, always state the fact clearly and frankly 

 in your own book. 



