Experimental and Applied 243 



In the following pages attention is directed specially to 

 experimental methods, whether for purposes of demonstration 

 or of training in analytical processes of general usefulness. 

 These methods have been described in general terms in the 

 earlier sections ; and for the present purpose we shall continue 

 to avoid minute description of practical details, referring the 

 student to the easily accessible accounts of the actual processes 

 to be found in current literature. At the same time, suggestions 

 are included for a course of study, whether of general treatises 

 or special publications on particular subjects, designed to 

 familiarise the student with the work of investigators in this 

 field of natural science. 



Laboratory and Research Notes. 



Morphology of Cellulose. The study of cellulose and of the 

 plant fibres generally involves on every hand questions of form and 

 structure, i.e. the form and dimensions of the individual cell or 

 fibre, and the structure or anatomy of the tissue of which it is a 

 unit member. 



Microscopic examination and investigation are, therefore, the 

 necessary complement of the chemical study of vegetable sub- 

 stances. 



The histological study of minute structure is dealt with in all 

 the standard text-books of the microscope. The structure and 

 elaboration of plant tissues, and the anatomy of the exogenous and 

 endogenous stems are fully described in the text-books of botany 

 which must be consulted. Goodale's Physiological Botany (Ivison : 

 New York) is especially to be recommended. 



The most important works treating specially of the minute struc- 

 ture of plant fibres are Wiesner, Mikroscopische Untersuchungen 

 (1872), Die Rohstoffe des Pflanzenreichs (1873) J Vetillart, Etudes 

 sur les fibres ve'getales textiles (Paris, 1876). Useful information 

 will also be found in Spon's Encyclopedia of the Useful Arts, article 

 'Vegetable Fibres' ; and * Indian Fibres and Fibrous Substances' 

 (Cross, Bevan, and King : London). 



As a useful application of microscopic method the student 



R 2 



