PART II. 

 PLAN AND MODELS FOR TEEE DESCRIPTION 



LL pupils should be required to write some form of 

 composition on the trees of the region. As far as 

 possible, these compositions should be the result of per- 

 sonal investigation. It is not what a pupil can read and 

 redescribe in more or less his own words, but how ac- 

 curately he can see and, from the information conveyed 

 by his own senses, describe in his own way the things 

 he has observed, that makes the use of such a book as 

 this important as an educational aid. Some informa- 

 tion in regard to trees, in a finished description, must 

 be obtained from books, such as hardiness, geographical 

 distribution, etc. Pupils generally should be required 

 to include only those things which they can give from 

 actual observation. 



There are four distinct forms of tree descriptions that 

 might be recognized by the teacher and occasionally 

 called for as work from the pupil. 1st. A bare skeleton 

 description, written by aid of a topical outline, from the 

 observation of a single tree and its parts. 2d. A con- 

 nected description, conveying as many facts given in the 

 outline as can well be brought into good English sen- 

 tences. This again is the description of a single tree. 

 3d. A connected, readable description of a certain kind 

 of tree, made up from the observation of many trees 

 of the same species to be found in the neighborhood. 

 4th. The third description including information to be 

 obtained from outside sources in regard to the origin, 

 geographical distribution, hardiness, character of wood, 

 habits, durability, etc. These four plans of description 



