147 



The question, then, looked at from a different angle, reads 

 " How can the lead which botany has over other studies be in- 

 creased?" For the purposes of our inquiry we may divide all 

 who are interested in botanical pursuits into two groups — the 

 botanists and the botanizers. The botanist I would define as a 

 person interested in the science of botany, the botanizer as one 

 interested in plants without much interest in or regard for the 

 science. It requires a peculiar type for the botanist. He must 

 have an inquiring turn of mind, a love of study, a respect and 

 regard for knowledge and an irresistible persistence in delving 

 into the secrets of nature. It may be doubted whether this type 

 of mind can be developed by any sort of schooling in individuals 

 in whom it is not latent. This is why your good botanical pupil 

 ceases to be interested as soon as the course is finished and also 

 why some individuals with few or no advantages force their way 

 to the front. The latter are botanists, born ; the others are not. 

 Occasionally the schools succeed in making a good imitation 

 botanist, but the spurious article is easily detected. 



The botanizer has but a passing interest in the studies of the 

 botanist. He is attracted to botany by the love of beauty and 

 the joys of discovery. The bright hues, pleasant perfumes, and 

 varied forms of the flowers appeal to his senses and incline him 

 to make a collection, while his wanderings afield are principally 

 to find a new flower, a flower newly in bloom, a plant in a new 

 place, or a new combination of plants. The spirit of discovery 

 animates both botanist and botanizer, but each applies it in a dif- 

 ferent way. The botanizer asks for the name of a new flower, 

 where it grows, when it blooms and what it is good for, but he 

 is seldom interested in its marvellous devices for pollination or 

 seed-dispersal and mere weeds do not attract him unless they 

 have showy flowers. 



There seems to be very little change needed in high school 

 courses designed for the education of the botanist. With almost 

 any kind of a start he may be depended upon to take care of 

 himself, but if we are to cultivate the botanizer — and there is an 

 immense number of his kind — very radical changes must be 

 made. We seldom realize how many people there are interested 



