4 PREFACE 



thoroughly studied and recited, with the exception of Chapter 

 III. on leaves. The object of this chapter is not to have the 

 definitions recited (the recitation of definitions in school work 

 is often useless or worse than useless), but to teach the pupil to 

 use the terms properly and to make them a portion of his 

 vocabulary. The figures on pages 38-43 are designed for 

 class description, and for the application of botanical words. 

 The first time the chapter is studied the figure illustrating the 

 term should be pointed out by the pupil ; then, as a review of 

 the whole chapter, the student should be required to give a 

 full description of each leaf. 



After this work with Chapter III., and the careful reading 

 of the whole of Part I., the pupils can begin the description of 

 trees, and, as the botanical words are needed, search can be 

 made for them under the proper heads or in the Glossary. 



The Keys are for the use of those who know nothing of scien- 

 tific botany. The advanced botanist may think them too arti- 

 ficial and easy; but let him remember that this work was 

 written for the average teacher who has had no strictly scien- 

 tific training. We can hardly expect that the great majority 

 of people will ever become scientific in any line, but it is pos- 

 sible for nearly every one to become interested in and fully 

 acquainted with the trees of his neighborhood. 



The attainment of such botanical knowledge by the plan given 

 in this volume will not only accomplish this useful purpose, but 

 will do what is worth far more to the student, i. e., teach him to 

 employ his own senses in the investigation of natural objects, 

 and to use his own powers of language in their description. 



With hardly an exception, the illustrations in the work are 

 taken from original drawings from nature by the author. A 

 few of the scales of pine-cones were copied from Loudon's " En- 

 cyclopaedia of Trees" ; some of the Eetinospora cones were taken 

 from the "Gardener's Chronicle"; and three of the illustrations 

 in Part I. are from Professor Gray's works. 



