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strongest appeal. The book will not commend itself to that 

 type of university professor who regards research and the direc- 

 tion of it as the chief end of man, and his teaching as only a 

 necessary evil, essential in order to hold his position and justify 

 his salary. Undoubtedly the pendulum has reached the end 

 of its swing in this direction, and there has already begun a 

 return to the more stable and desirable condition where efficient 

 teaching of the science is regarded, not only as worth while for 

 its own sake, but absolutely essential to the greatest growth and 

 development of the science. 



That there are at present more vacancies in botanical positions 

 in the United States than there are competent men to fill them, 

 is due in large measure to the fact that a more than amateurish 

 presentation of introductory and even advanced courses by men 

 absorbed in research, and "teaching" under protest, has failed 

 to make a strong appeal to young men and women of ability. 

 It is not, for a moment, meant to be here implied that research 

 should be considered as secondary in importance to teaching, 

 nor that some men should not give all their time and energy to 

 investigation, nor that it would not be an educational blunder for 

 some men to engage in the instruction of beginning classes rather 

 than in enlarging the boundaries of our knowledge. But, on the 

 other hand, it is maintained, as emphatically as possible, that 

 teaching should not be considered as secondary in importance to 

 research; and that one who devotes his time and talents to the 

 problems and needs of botanical education should no longer be 

 considered to have "done nothing" in his position. 



It is an almost self-evident truth that the teacher should have 

 the spirit of research, but if his inclinations lead him to make a 

 contribution to the improvement of botanical education this 

 should be considered by every one interested in any phase of 

 botany as important and valuable a service as the discovery of 

 a new chromosome or a new mendelian ratio. 



The writer believes that there is no error more widespread or 

 more erroneous than that knowledge of a subject, alone and of 

 itself, confers teaching power or is the sole need in the preparation 

 of a teacher. "The Teaching Botanist" is a protest against this 



