•J On the Management ok Elementary Classes in Botany. 



receive this benefit, it is essential that the pnpil should be brought into contact with the forms 

 which are the objects of study ; that lie should handle them and view them for himself ; that he 

 should by personal insi«ction, ascertain their habits, and by visiting their haunts learn the situa- 

 ations in which they flourish best. Undoubtodly, then, the first essential in giving a lesson is 

 that every member of the class should have before him a si>ecimen of the plant, or part of plant, 

 which is to be the subject of the lesson. Then the teacher will direct attention to the different 

 organs, naturally in the order of development of the organs themselves ; first to the root, then 

 to the stem, then to the leaves, and finally to the flower. In a first lesson it would not be amiss 

 to make a su|>erficial examination of the entire plant, rapidly and briefly discussing the nature 

 and use of each part, but avoiding as far as posssible the use of technical terms. The chai)ter on 

 the Buttercup, as given in the text-book, really affords material for several lessons. Each teacher 

 must, however, be guided by the time at his disix)sal and the circumstances of his class as to how 

 much ground he will attemjit to cover at one time. Some of the plants described in the text-book 

 as, for instance, Hepatica and Marsh Marigold, will not be available in the autumn. This, how- 

 ever, is a matter of comparatively little consequence, as others can be substituted. In fact, after 

 one plant, such as Buttercup, has been thoroughly understood, almost any other dicotyledonous 

 plant may be taken up and compared with it. The order followed in the text-book is a good one, 

 because the pupil is led by degrees from the study of floral forms in which all the parts are present 

 but entirely disconnected, to others showing various complications and irregularities ; but the 

 judicious teacher will readily supi)lement the work of the text-book by the use of material which he 

 wiil find in abundance everywhere about him. Let him keep in view the series of facts which it is 

 ••-.st-iitifil that the cla.ss should know, and he may use any material which would enable the class to 

 discover those facts from personal observation. 



How to conduct a Lesson. — If the class is a large one. it will economize time to have 

 ft,f. ..•,..,....;.,..-; ininiy jjimuhaneously. Suppose the Red Maple is the subject of the lesson, wliich 

 of - ]>articular case must be given in the spring. The class having observed that the 



flowers precede the leaves, that the flower-clusters upon one set of trees differ in a])pearance from 

 those upon another set of trees, and that all the trees are visited by multitudes of busy insects, let an 

 abundant supply of both sorts of flowers be procuretl and taken to the class-room. I^et the teacher 

 'h-- ' • ' • »},e staminate flowers, and proceed with the observations upon them. Every pupil 

 : jre him a blank schedxde, in which he will .set down the result of his observations, 

 .iii'i .f will be well for the teacher to have a large schedule, visible to the class, marked off upon the 

 blackboard. Assuming that the pupils have been made acquainted with the common terms employed 

 in the forms, let them all be required to examine the calyx, and to set down in the proper place the 

 niirn'wrr.'' ' Then ascertain what has boon thus .set down. If all agree in their observations, the 



r-^- '■ " "' 'f?d and recorded in the schedule on the blacklx)ard. If there are variations, these 



II. • and noted, if corre<'-t. Then comes the question — " Polysepalous or Gamosepa- 



lous? "— the result to be checked as before. Then—" Superior or Inferior ? "—to be dealt with in like 

 manner. To fill the last column, headed " Remarks," it will not be amiss to leave the pupils entirely 

 to their own iit as to what they may think worth recording. When the notes have been made, 



the teacher r • 'rem them such as are most worthy, and enter these in his blackboard schedule. 



The corolla \^ looked for and a record made. The word '"Wanting" will doubtless bo written 



down by every one, and may then bo also written on the blackboard. Then the stamens come under 

 notice. Each will set down the number he finds, and in this ca.se it is hardly likely that all the results 

 will agroe. Some will find five, others six, others seven. When all the results have been ascertained, 

 the teacher should eii'er in his form the lowest and highest numbers, thus: 5-7, as expressing the 

 rnll.^.Mvo result, and lie should improve the opportunity here presented to caution his pupils not to 



