Nature-Study with Plants 71 



collects them. No matter how commonplace the 

 subject, a specimen will vivify it and fix it in 

 the pupil's mind. A living, growing plant is 

 worth a score of herbarium specimens. 



In the secondaiy schools, botany should be 

 taught for the purpose of bringing the pupil 

 closer to the world with which he lives, of 

 widening his horizon, of intensifying his hold 

 on life. It should begin with familiar plant 

 forms and phenomena. It is often said that 

 the high-school pupil should begin the study of 

 botany with the lowest and simplest forms of 

 life. This is wrong. The microscope is not 

 an introduction to nature. It is said that the 

 physiology of plants can be best understood by 

 beginning with the lower forms. This may be 

 true: but the customary technical plant physi- 

 ology is not a subject for the beginner. There 

 are better ways of putting the beginner into 

 touch with physiology. The youth is by nature 

 a generalist. He should not be forced to be a 

 specialist. 



Just what kind of plant or animal subjects 

 should be taught must depend (i) on the de- 



