This book has been prepared for use in schools in which 

 elementary Botany is taught during the last half or last third 

 of the school year. 



It is believed that a course in Botany which is designed for 

 those who are taking their first lessons in the subject and 

 most of whom will not have opportunity to pursue it farther, 

 ought to afford opportunity for scientific training as well as 

 for obtaining some general information concerning the vege- 

 table kingdom, particularly in relation to the growth and 

 development of plants, their relationships, their uses, etc. 

 Accordingly, directions for practical work, observation, and 

 performing experiments have been offered throughout, but in 

 immediate connection with the paragraphs of the text that 

 pertain to the subject in hand. This has not interrupted the 

 proper symmetry and logical arrangement of the topics that 

 should be included in an elementary course for high schools. 



The practical work indicated need not and should not be 

 a verification of the text; that, it is true, would be an im- 

 provement over mere text-book work, but it lacks the very 

 spirit and essential feature of scientific work. The observa- 

 tion and experimentation must be made to find out the facts 

 in the case. This will afford scientific training and, besides, 

 real knowledge will be gained. Whether all the practical 

 exercises that are called for, can be carried out, will depend 

 on the length of time at the disposal of pupils, but every 



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