121 
soil mineral matter and moisture which are necessary to the plant 
for food. The stem develops leaves, and acts as an organ of 
transmission and communication between root and leaves, send- 
ing up to the leaves the raw materials gathcred by the root-hairs. 
The leaves take in carbon dioxide through stomata, little air 
chambers on their under surface. A leaf has four functions: 
photosynthesis, or starch-making, respiration, or the giving off 
of oxygen, assimilation, or the formation of tissue from manu- 
factured food, and transpiration, or the giving off of water in 
the form of vapor. All this work which the root, stem, and 
leaves do, and which cannot be done without food and sunlight, 
is essential to the life and growth of a plant; as a result of this 
work, these organs multiply and increase in size; no plant can 
live if any one of these organs should, for some reason, fail to 
carry out its mission. Besides this, the plant has yet to produce 
many flowers, which can, by a long and complex process, re- 
sulting in the change of the flower into fruit, develop a great 
number of seeds imbedded in the fruits. When this is done the 
work of the plant for that year is completed, and it remains with 
us and with nature to see that as many seeds as possible are 
scattered and planted. 
This gives an idea of the amount of work which even our 
modest little wild flowers must perform, and it is our duty to 
allow them to do it, without hindering them in any way. 
principle which botanists uphold and carry out is, ‘‘To love the 
flower and leave it on its stalk.” It is to be regretted that more 
are not botanists, but a knowledge of plant life and of the struggles 
of a plant for existence is sufficient for the adoption of the 
same principle. 
The way, then, to preserve plants is to encourage the study of 
nature. Children should know that plants are living things, 
which they must not destroy, and should learn to love them, not 
passionately, for that would lead to extensive picking, but truly. 
High school students are very enthusiastic in their nature 
work, and, in their eagerness to get specimens for study, destroy 
many neighboring flowers. Destruction on the part of botany 
students may easily be prevented. Instructors can arrange to 
