Proceedings of the Ohio State Academy of Science. 85 



Regarding undergraduate botanical investigation, doubtless 

 all agree that no one should be thrown on his own resources in 

 special study to the exclusion of regular instruction after two or 

 three years of botanical class work. The student is toO' narrow 

 at this time and will remain so if he begins to give much of his 

 time to special problems. But some young persons should begin 

 specialization in the teens, and in rare instances a part of this may 

 best be some sort of investigation, even in undergraduate courses. 

 We often thwart the desire of the youth for scientific attainment 

 until the last bit of enthusiasm for independent study is crushed. 

 Some would smother it in the best prepared undergraduate and 

 expect it to burst into a living flame soon after the student reaches 

 the university. The rare college student who has the desire, 

 ability, and time for work on some definite problem and who has 

 a teacher who can not or will not encourage and direct him is 

 unfortunate. On the other hand, it is fortunate for the college 

 teacher that few of the students in our classes are ready to at- 

 tempt special problems. After many years of experience, the 

 writer does not think that he should attempt to direct more than 

 two or three of his students in extended individual work at one 

 time. These he tries to select early and to suggest to them some- 

 thing which may be carried along for a time with their regular 

 work and finally take more of their time as they advance, some- 

 times being finished under his direction after graduation. These 

 efforts may or ma}^ not result in something worth publishing, but 

 they should not be tabooed simply because done by undergrad- 

 uates. 



Like the teacher's research, the student's investigation should 

 centre about something related to his college course and his life 

 work. There are many questions of this kind which the experi- 

 enced investigator may suggest to the few who should attempt 

 such study. This work should never exclude thorough training 

 in the student's specialty, nor should it replace a knowledge of 

 many subjects in the college curriculum. Hence it must be con- 

 fined to the rare student who has time and ability for this special 

 study and the more imporant work which will give broad mental 

 training. 



