61 



The open pasture-like mountain summits, covered with herbs 

 and some low trees, contrasted strongly with the rocky barren 

 ridges of the northern Appalachians, and spruces and firs [Abies 

 Fraseri) hardly appear under 5,000 feet altitude. 



Marshall A. Howe, 



Secretary pro tern. 



OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS 



High School Botany. — It has been suggested that a page 

 of special interest to high school teachers be added to Torreya. 

 Many of the members are teachers, and there is now no recog- 

 nized botanical journal interested in high school botany. Few 

 teachers are satisfied with the work they are now doing, and the 

 discussion that such a page should provoke would enable us to 

 come nearer the answers to the following questions : 



1. Why can so few teachers defend the high school courses 

 they are now giving ? 



2. Does the present dissatisfaction felt by the teachers indicate 

 that the work is poor ? 



3. Is the statement that pupils dislike botany (and zoology) 

 true ? If so, how do you account for it in the case of botany ? 



4. Why do so few pupils offer botany for college entrance? 



5. Should botany be more closely related to the other science 

 subjects, making a continuous four year course in science (as in 

 Latin, English, and Mathematics in our best high schools) ? 



6. Why does not the study of botany more often create a last- 

 ing interest ? Would this be secured by more emphasis on 

 morphology (including classification) ? 



7. Should the physiological work be more or less quantitative? 

 If qualitative only, how can correct ideas as to time, amount, etc., 

 be assured ? 



Botany, both as a pure science and as a practical science, has 

 never held a higher place. If we, as teachers, cannot success- 

 fully deal with it in our high school classes, there must be some- 

 thing fundamentally wrong. What is it? Is the aim unformu- 



