THE STUDY OF THE DANDELION. 15 



relation to other forms of plants, have we accomplished 

 what will be of the highest educational value ? Most 

 of the work in botany in our secondary schools consists 

 of this study and description of plant forms, and com- 

 parison with other forms, or tracing through an analyt- 

 ical key, and finding names, which is supposed to be 

 comparison. 



Will such work meet the needs of the boys and girls 

 in the elementary schools ? Is interest in nature, and 

 power to see and compare and classify and describe, the 

 highest pleasure or value they can get from nature 

 study? 



Is there anything better about the dandelion for the 

 children to study than its form, and its relation to other 

 plant forms, like and unlike it? 



In addition to what we may call its form, or struc- 

 tural relations, it has other relations to its surroundings 

 or environment. It is a living thing, dependent on its 

 physical environment, soil, moisture, air, sun ; helped 

 or harmed by these. It is adapted by form and struc- 

 ture and life-processes to get help from these and to 

 give help to them in return. Let us study the relations 

 between our dandelion and its physical environment, 

 its dependence on its environment, its adaptation to its 

 environment. 



Our dandelion when separated from Mother Earth 

 very soon wilts and dies, unless kept in a damp place 

 or in water. It is dependent on the soil and on the 

 moisture in the soil, and this moisture it must get from 

 dew and rain and cloud. It thrives only where it can 



