QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 35 



In the laboratory and in the field many questions about 

 plants may occur to you. The answers to many such ques- 

 tions are in this book, but the answers to some of them 

 may not be in this book or in any other book. These 

 unanswered questions may be of more value to you than 

 the answered ones. They may keep you thinking, while 

 an answer might stop your thinking. Some time you 

 may find the answer for yourself. The most fascinating 

 thing about botany to the botanist is that there is such a 

 great deal yet to be found out. What you learn for your- 

 self from the plants rather than what you learn from the 

 book will be the pleasantest part of your little journey 

 into the plant world. Any journey may be dull with 

 every mile of it planned in advance, and all adventures 

 eliminated. That is what your plant journey would be if 

 it were a journey into books alone. But instead of that it 

 is to be a sort of voyage of discovery. 



To learn about plants by print alone is like reading of 

 travels in a rocking chair when you might be roaming the 

 world yourself. So this book is a sort of necessary evil. 

 Its principal excuse for existence is that in the few months 

 that you have for your botanical journey you can discover 

 only a few things for yourself. The making of those dis- 

 coveries will be the best part of your work, but you are 

 also entitled to a general view of the subject. Hence this 

 book. It should not come between you and the plant. 

 Its place is after the plant, to supplement. 



QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 



SECTION i. i. Explain the statement that all the food of animals 

 comes from plants. 2. What are the principal plants used by men 

 for food ? 3. What are the principal plants used by animals for food ? 



