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human physiology) and expect the specialists to set us right 

 from time to time. 



Another phase which seems to me important is a knowledge 

 of plants as national resources — their relation to great human 

 interests. The forest service and agricultural work keep us in 

 touch with this. 



The other side is the study of our own plants — their variety 

 and beauty as we find them. If this is is carried on out of doors 

 — as most of it should be — and sufficiently to make children 

 really intelligent — the interest ought to be lasting because this 

 is an accessible field for study. It seems to me that more guides 

 and keys would greatly aid in this work. 



Anna Clark. 

 The New York 



Training School for Teachers. 



II 



If it is not too late, I should like to enter the discussion of the 

 interesting topic presented in your Teacher's Department in 

 April. Your question, " Why does not the study of botany more 

 often create a lasting interest ? " suggests that somehow botany is 

 inferior to other subjects in establishing permanent interest in 

 high school pupils. I know that this is the prevailing opinion 

 regarding science subjects in general, and the biological in par- 

 ticular ; but my observations lead me to disagree with it decid- 

 edly. I think your question might be fairly answered by asking 

 a similar one, namely, why do not secondary school subjects in 

 general more often create a lasting interest in the minds of pupils ? 

 I do not mean to say that I think there is no possibility for im- 

 provement in botany and other subjects, so far as arousing inter- 

 est is concerned ; but I am inclined to think that we sometimes 

 expect too much when we look at botany in the secondary school 

 from the standpoint of our experience as professional biologists. 

 We must sooner or later begin to recognize the fact that a large 

 proportion of people are not and probably cannot be prepared 

 to view the world through the eyes of the naturalist, and hence I 

 think it is not to be expected that a very large proportion of 



