MANUAL OF NATURB STUDY. 155 



wild indigo all belong to tlie same family, the 

 Pulse Family. Can you tell wliy ? Collect these 

 flowers and see if they are alike. See if you can 

 find any other flowers that belong to this family. 

 What are the points of likeness ? When these 

 fruits ripen collect the pods and notice the similar- 

 ity in pods and seeds. Of course these pods can 

 not be collected until later in the year. Would 

 you place the clover in the same family as the 

 bean ? Try the pea, wistaria, sweet pea. 



Study the common mustard and note that it has 

 four petals, four sepals and six stamens— four long 

 and two short. Taste its stem and leaves. Get a 

 collection of radish flowers, and notice points of 

 likeness between them and the mustard. If possi- 

 ble get turnip and cabbage flowers. Let pupils 

 bring in any other flowers having the same points. 



These flowers all belong to the Mustard family^ 

 sometimes called the Cress family. There are over 

 six thousand species or members of this family 

 known to botanists. We cannot expect to make 

 the acquaintance of the entire family, yet it is pos- 

 sible to learn a few characteristics or marks that 

 will enable us to know one of them when we have 

 the opportunity. If the children will go out on the 

 hillside they may be able to find the tooth wort, 

 which may be known as mustard by the common 

 marks, and as toothwort by its root and leaves, 



