Treface 



hundred and sixty flowers. The matter tabulated 

 gives such important points as family, common and 

 botanical names, insect visitors, and where the 

 flowers are highly developed, the method of pre- 

 venting or limiting self-fertilization. 



It is suggested that the book be treated after 

 the manner now employed by the best teachers in 

 dealing with the English classics ; that is, that it 

 shall be used primarily as a reader and that the 

 composition work shall then be drawn from it. The 

 objection heretofore to treating scientific books in 

 this way has been their lack of literary merit, which 

 made them too poor a basis for the study of English, 

 which necessarily goes hand in hand with composi- 

 tion work. This objection removed, as it has been 

 in the present case, the method is ideal. The 

 teacher's edition of " Blossom Hosts and Insect 

 Guests " renders such a course possible for the 

 busiest teacher, providing composition outlines and 

 all other necessary aids for doing satisfactory work 

 with the least possible expenditure of time and 

 labor. 



Ruskin says: '*The more I think of it, I find this 

 conclusion more impressed upon me, that the great- 

 est thing a human soul ever does in this world is to 

 see something. . . . Hundreds of people can talk 



