X INTRODUCTION 



less. Ten minutes a day for one term, of a short, 

 sharp and spicy observation upon plants, is worth more 

 than a whole text -book of botany. 



"The teacher should studiously avoid definitions, 

 and the setting of patterns. The old idea of the 

 model flower is a pernicious one, because it does not 

 exist in nature. The model flower, the complete leaf, 

 and the like, are inferences, and pupils should begin 

 with things and not with ideas. In other words, the 

 ideas should be suggested by the things, and not the 

 things by the ideas. 'Here is a drawing of a model 

 flower,' the old method says; 'go and find the nearest 

 approach to it.' 'Go and find me a flower,' is the true 

 method, 'and let us see what it is.' 



"Every child, and every grown person too, for that 

 matter, is interested in nature -study, for it is the 

 natural method of acquiring knowledge. The only dif- 

 ficulty lies in the teaching, for very few teachers have 

 had drill or experience in this informal method of 

 drawing out the observing and reasoning powers of the 

 pupil wholly without the use of text -books. The 

 teacher must first of all feel the living interest in 

 natural objects which it is desired the pupils shall 

 acquire. If the enthusiasm is not catching, better let 

 such teaching alone. 



"All this means that the teacher will need helps. 

 He will need to inform himself before he attempts to 

 inform the pupil. It is not necessary that he become 



