LABORATORY METHODS AND EQUIPMENT 

 The Laboratory and its Equipment 



The essentials of a laboratory are, of course, good light, con- 

 venient tables, and sufficient apparatus. While nortH light is 

 preferable, since its quality is more constant, east, west, or south 

 light can be perfectly regulated by translucent shades which may 

 be pulled up to any desired distance, and so temper direct sun- 

 light when necessary. Moreover, it is desirable that some win- 

 dows have the sun for part of the day, since aquaria and glass 

 cases for growing plants require some sunlight and may be placed 

 in such parts of the room. Excellent suggestions on the arrange- 

 ment of laboratory tables, lockers, glass growing case, sink, black- 

 board, etc., are given in Ganong, 7, Chapter V, and in Lloyd, 8, 

 Chapter IX, books which should be read by every teacher of botany. 



The equipment of a laboratory will depend largely upon the 

 nature of the work, whether very elementary or covering a strong 

 full course of a year or more, and also upon the attitude of the 

 instructor, who may emphasize especially either physiology or a 

 more detailed morphology. Physiology requires its own special 

 apparatus, and detailed morphology demands the equipment 

 necessary for imbedding, microtome section cutting, and staining. 

 Much of the work with this apparatus can best be conducted at 

 tables in the center or back of the laboratory, which wiU not 

 interfere with the tables for the more general class exercises. In 

 the choice of equipment and its storage the instructor is again 

 referred to the admirable discussions of Ganong and Lloyd. 

 Lists of the chemicals, apparatus, and supplies necessary for the 

 work outlined in this manual are given in Sees. 216, 216. 



The cost of compound microscopes is the item of greatest 

 expense in the equipment of a laboratory, and their selection 



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