INTRODUCTORY LESSONS. 



These lessons are designed to be used as a guide in the actual 

 8tudy of plants, and the teacher is implored not to require pupils 

 to memorize them for recitation. Let it be borne in mind that 

 Botany is the study of plants, not the study of hooha. Let the 

 book be a guide, and nothing more. 



It is suggested that for his first work the pupil should be re- 

 quired to make a complete examination of a plant, following the 

 order given, and making a careful record of his observations. 

 The descriptive terms commonly used in manuals of botany are 

 introduced for the use of the pupil in making his record, and 

 vpith these he should familiarize himself as soon as possible. The 

 pupil ,may now be examined upon the structure of the plant he 

 has studied, and may be required to define the descriptive terms 

 he has used in his work. However, the teacher is again warned 

 not to require a memorizing of these terms before the pupil has 

 made their acquaintance by an actual examination. 



A dozen plants carefully examined throughout should make the 

 pupil sufficiently familiar with the gross anatomy of flowering 

 plants, and the common descriptive terms, so that any of the 

 ordinary systematic manuals may be readily used. But it must 

 be insisted that the work must be thoroughly done. A hasty and 

 careless running through the pages, with plant in hand, will not 

 help the pupil. The work must be slow, careful, and conscien- 

 _tious. And the pupil must bring to his work the determination 

 to acquire as quickly as possible the power of close observation 

 and accurate description. While he is forbidden to memorize 

 descriptive terms while they are meaningless to him, yet he is 



