28 PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 



year's work under the most favorable conditions; where these 

 are less fortunate, selection must be exercised. 



To learn to use literature properly is an essential part of 

 a scientific education. A habit should be formed of consult- 

 ing the original papers whenever possible, and of comparing 

 the work of different investigators upon the same subject. The 

 great accumulation of literature makes it necessary not only 

 that the student shall be able to read absorptively and critically, 

 but also that he shall acquire the power of obtaining some 

 knowledge of a work by skimming its pages or by inspection of 

 its tables of contents, figures, or summaries. In such a course 

 as this, however, supposed to be taken by undergraduates, it is 

 obviously impossible to carry the consultation of the original 

 literature very far, especially if in a foreign tongue, but enough 

 of this should be done to emphasize its value. Original papers 

 can at least be brought into the laboratory frequently and looked 

 over, even if not read. Happily, however, for such a course 

 as this, the literature is admirably summarized in Pfeffer's 

 great handbook, "The Physiology of Plants." It is assumed 

 throughout this course that the student shall constantly consult 

 this indispensable book. It is, however, a difficult work to read 

 in quantity, and by far the best reading book we possess on the 

 subject is Jost's "Lectures on Plant Physiology," a work which 

 the student during his course should carefully read through.* 

 He may consult to advantage also Vines' "Lectures " and 

 Sachs' "Lectures," though they must be used with some cau- 

 tion as they are not up to the times in their facts. Sachs should 

 be read as a model of scientific exposition, expressed in an attrac- 

 tive style. Very suggestive and valuable for its breadth and 

 point of view is Verworn's "General Physiology"; much of it 

 is not botanical, but for the student's use it is none the worse 

 for that. Goodale's "Physiological Botany," though much 



* The English edition, unfortunately, is marred by many errors of transla- 

 tion, some so serious as to alter, or even reverse, the meaning of the original. 

 Hence at all critical points the original should be consulted. See review in 

 Nature, 77, 1007, 97. 



