PREFACE vii 



to fulfill one of the college entrance requirements. The same 

 course can and should serve all of these purposes in the same 

 manner that the courses in mathematics and English literature 

 serve those who go direct from the secondary schools into the 

 trades, or business houses, or professions, or to college. 



The manuscript has been submitted to both high-school 

 teachers and college professors for criticisms and suggestions 

 and many changes have been made in an effort to meet the 

 requirements of both classes of teachers, although the general 

 plan of the work has not been changed. 



Many of the illustrations in this book are purely diagram- 

 matic and are intended as guides and not completed work to be 

 copied by the pupil ; many others are from drawings made by 

 the author's students and are such as can be readily made by 

 most high-school pupils. 



A text-book in botany is a guide, and it is neither neces- 

 sary nor 1 desirable that the class should follow it in all details. 

 The teacher should select such exercises in this or other books 

 as may suit the purpose and should make such variations and 

 additions as may be desirable. Supplementary reading along 

 the lines of plant geography, and economic botany, observations 

 in field, forest and stream, and home studies in the growing of 

 plants should be encouraged. The success or failure of the 

 course in botany is more dependent on the teacher than on the 

 books, laboratories and equipment. A good teacher is more 

 necessary than books, laboratories and equipment. The acquire- 

 ment of industry, enthusiasm, methods of work, self-reliance, 

 close observation and accuracy on the part of the pupils are 

 much more desirable than much of the so-called knowledge that 

 consists of disconnected or questionable facts. 



MEL. T. COOK. 

 RUTGERS COLLEGE, 



NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J. 



