THE LABORATORY 



Books of practice are now used in colleges and schools as 

 well as directly by growers. The first requisite in the teaching 

 of students in the biological sciences is drill in identification 

 and observation. The student who cannot see what he looks 

 at and accurately describe it, is not ready for lectures or for 

 investigation. It is hoped that vegetable-gardening may be 

 made a means of exact education in natural science, equivalent 

 in its processes with other phases of botany. The student 

 should know the species in the main groups of oleraceous 

 plants. To this end, descriptions of many plants are inserted 

 in the present volume. 



The identification and description exercise may well be 

 extended to other species and also to the differing horticultural 

 varieties. All this should be a good preparation for the practi- 

 cal applications, adding to one's proficiency in vegetable-grow- 

 ing as well as opening a world of resources in the objects in 

 nature. To detect and recognize Insects and their eggs, plant 

 diseases, the effects of treatments and conditions on the welfare 

 of the plants, requires sharp eyes that are sure of what they see. 



The plants themselves, and their many parts, are the pri- 

 mary resource in laboratory work in any branch of horticul- 

 ture. The growing plants are naturally to be preferred, but they 

 cannot always be had in sufficient quantity and variety, and 

 they soon wilt and lose their significance; a wide range of 

 fairly permanent subjects should be before the student for 

 comparison whatever the season of the year, comprising good 

 herbarium material (not merely leaves), seeds, and accurate 

 pictures of the produce if actual specimens cannot be had. 

 The verification should always, extend, however, to the living 

 plants themselves and their products. Whatever the method, 

 the object is to develop the keen and practiced eye, as well as 

 accurate appreciation of record and citation. 



The study of the plants does not restrict itself to identifica- 

 tion of the kinds and to their taxonomic treatment, although 



(15) 



