83 



"On horseback through Hayti," by Mr. George V. Nash,* and 

 was hstened to with great interest by all present. 



Adjournment was at 9:45. Tracy E. Hazen, 



Secretary pro teni. 



OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS 



The sixth question suggested in the March number has en- 

 listed many interesting letters. This issue -contains but part of 

 them ; other letters referring to this and to the remaining ques- 

 tions will be printed later in Torreya. The wide range in the 

 letters is in itself suggestive. 



The question here discussed is : 



Why does not the study of botany more often create a lasting 

 interest ? Would this be secured by more emphasis on mor- 

 phology, including classification ? 



Perhaps one reason more lasting interest is not secured is be- 

 cause there is so little that even the interested high school pupil 

 can do by himself after completing his half year or whole year 

 course in botany. Reading alone will not serve as in history, 

 literature and foreign languages. The second part of the ques- 

 tion was added with this difficulty in mind. 



I 



The following is a qualified answer for I do not feel that I can 

 answer the question for more than the students under my own 

 observation. 



For boys of the age when they come to the De Witt Clinton 

 High School (13 to 15), I believe the more laboratory physiology 

 or perhaps I should say the more simple experimental work and 

 demonstration we give in elementary, physical, chemical, and 

 biological science, the greater the interest. Things morphologic 

 or taxonomic seem to gain and hold interest with but few ; modi- 

 fications and adaptations in structure interest more students ; 

 simple experiments with a definite problem put before the student 



* Instead of the visual abstract Mr. Nash has written a short article on the man- 

 grove which appears upon another page ; other interesting accounts of the same trip 

 are to be published later in Torreya. 



