8 ELEMENTARY BOTANY. 



tional merit of serving in numberless instances to incite to 

 further study — it must be remembered that this in itself, in- 

 cluding the preparative study of descriptive terminology, is a 

 very inconsiderable portion, or perhaps it should not be con- 

 sidered a part, of real Botany. On the other hand, the mere 

 study of a botanical text-book, though it may be made a drill 

 in memorizing, or used as a basis of instruction in etymology 

 or language lessons, cannot be properly designated a study of 

 the science of Botany. This should comprise rather a direct 

 study of the plants themselves ; an examination of both their 

 general or gross structure and their minute anatomy ; an in- 

 vestigation of their general physiology and the functions of 

 the several parts, also their affinities to each other, their rela- 

 tion to other objects in nature, their embryological development, 

 their evolution through geologic time, and their past and pres- 

 ent distribution ; and finally a study of the application of 

 the facts and principles of the science to every-day life. 



4. It should be remembered that the paramount object in 

 the study of Botany is as far as possible to obtain knowledge 

 directly from the plants themselves. These must therefore be 

 handled and carefully observed — the text-book and teacher be- 

 ing guides to systematic observation, and, where possible, to 

 experimentation. The study of the text-book should in all 

 cases follow, not precede, the study of the material and the exe- 

 cution of the experiments. It has seemed preferable to have 

 the directions for practical work follow the paragraph or por- 

 tion of the text devoted to the subject in hand, rather than to 

 precede it; but the order of study of the material and the 

 experimentation, and of the study of the text, should always 

 be as suggested above. To attempt a complete examination of 

 all the parts that are presented by any plant should not be 

 attempted in the first lesson. If, for example, a leafless 

 branch collected in winter is at hand, a study of the leaf- 

 scars alone could advantageously occupy some length of 

 time. It should include also a comparison of the leaf-scars 

 of other species ; the work would thus occupy many hours. 

 The buds, their arrangement, size, shapes, coverings, struc- 



