244 J ppExnix 



book ; and, further, ■will there find clear and authoritative statements 

 of physiological theory. The book is more than a manual of experi- 

 mental procedure. 



Experiments sometimes fail to convince the pupil of tlie truth 

 which it is sought to illustrate. Doubts should not be put aside or 

 left unsatisfied when it is possil>le that some further test — which, 

 ofteutiuics, the pupil himself is aljle to suggest — may settle the ques- 

 tion without recourse to the statements of the authorities. A little 

 experimenting along an original line, that is, a line original as far as 

 the pupil is concerned, is often of very great value: it awakens and 

 stimulates tlie scientific spii'it strongly in some cases. 



Books of reference. — The following will be useful to the teacher 

 w lio wishes to extend, by reading, a scanty knowledge of botany. 

 "Gray's .Structural Botany"; American Book Company, Xew York. 

 " Goodale's Physiological Botany"; American Book Company, Xew 

 York. Strasluu-ger (and othei-s), " Text-book of Botany," translated 

 by Porter ; 'J'he Macmillan Conjpauy, Kew York. 



This list might, of course, be indefinitely extended. 



Ganong's "The Teaching Botanist " is a manual for the teacher, 

 containir.g outlines of a course of study, pedagogical suggestions, 

 a list of books of reference, etc., etc.; the book is highly recom- 

 mended to teachers in secondary schools. Published by Macmillan, 

 Xew York. 



Chapter I. — In approaching a series of studies on a given topic we 

 may adopt either of two courses. First, we may, without delay or 

 preliminary consideration, proceed to the actual study of the material, 

 leaving all general views aside until the laborator}' work has been 

 completed and the summarization is to be made. Or, secondly, we 

 may seek to gain at least some general idea of the direction and ainr 

 of our investigations before they are actually begun. If the teacher 

 chooses the former method lie will pass over the questions asked at the 

 beginning of Chapter I., and will not necessarily emphasize the head- 

 ings of the several exercises. If the second method is pui'sued, then 

 the teacher will talk over the proposed work on the suljject of seeds 

 with the class lief ore the first exercise. It will probably lie found that 

 amongst them the pupils already know a good deal of the natiiral liis- 

 tory of seeds. And this knowledge may be made the basis of iider- 

 esting suggestions of study. There may be a doubt on the part of 

 some pupils as to w hether the seed has a complete plant in it. This 

 may then be left for investigation. But all "will doubtless admit that 

 the seed contains at least the starting-point of a new plant, if no 

 more. Assuming this, the idea of the resting state (see text on 

 Seeds, Chapter II.) may peihaps be hinted at. This conception, 

 together with the idea of the feebleness of the young ]iUintlet at the 

 start as opposed to the dangers and dilhculties that surround it, aud 



