34 THE SECOND BOOK OF BOTANY. 



had the word description written over its third 

 column, and under this title could be placed all 

 kinds of observations. But, as in this book we enter 

 upon more careful and minute work, we shall be 

 much aided in arranging our discoveries by adopt- 

 ing the plan of Prof. Henslow, who places the word 

 cohesion above this column, and devotes it to obser- 

 vations upon the cohesion of parts in flowers. 



Fig. 34 represents half a buttercup. It has been 

 sliced down through the middle, making what is 

 called a vertical section of the flower, that you may 

 see the structure of the stamens and pistil. This 

 flower is used for the first schedule because of its 

 simplicity, its parts being all quite distinct from each 

 other. It is without cohesion, and, in describing it, 

 you have to use terms which apply to distinct sta- 

 mens and carpels. 



The learner will, of course, provide himself with 

 a real flower, and fill out a schedule from his own ex- 

 amination of it. The buttercup is easily found, for 

 it grows almost everywhere, and blossoms through- 

 out the summer. I must insist that the pupil be not 

 content with simply looking over the description in 

 the book. The example is given, not as a substitute 

 for your own effort, but as a means of testing your 

 observations ; of letting you know whether your own 

 way of carrying out the schedule description is the 

 correct one. Any lack of confidence you may feel in 

 beginning a new process will disappear upon find- 

 ing that your own observations and expressions agree 

 with the printed ones. A schedule or two thus em- 

 ployed, when you are beginning to use new terms, 

 will assist you in gaining self-reliance. 



