ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 61 
not require that a teacher shall have a very profound knowledge 
of the subject before he can give a very interesting (and sound) 
practical lesson to children in botany. If teachers would not 
mistrust their own powers in this respect, they would find their 
own knowledge would grow, for by a kind of inductive action 
between teachers and taught, teachers would find their own 
knowledge develop, and they could proceed to broader views of 
the subject. 
As intellectual discipline, the science of botany possesses merit 
of a high order, while it has the advantage of causing its votaries 
to wander in the fresh, pure air of the fields and woods, never 
without companions although apparently alone, and last, though 
surely not least, the refining effect of a love of plant-life must 
never be overlooked. And if the subject be encouraged in the 
elementary schools, its more ample recognition in higher schools 
and colleges, and by the University, will follow as a matter of 
course, | 
b. AnInstitution for Botanical Research.—We lack an institution 
to do for the botanical student what the chemical laboratory does 
for the chemical student, By use of the term laboratory, I do 
not wish to be misunderstood ; I mean an institution where the 
student may pursue botanical enquiries with facilities for reference 
to abundant fresh and growing material. The need of such an 
institution has been felt in London, and I would refer to an inter- 
esting scheme recently propounded by Mr. W. Martindale.’ As 
far as New South Wales is concerned, an institution of this 
character must obviously be in close touch with the Botanic 
Gardens at Sydney, for no scheme of botanical instruction can be 
complete without practical demonstrations with living plants. I 
8m not prepared with a working scheme, and will content myself 
of Present with a few suggestions. A house in the vicinity of the 
Gardens could be set apart for students. None of them would 
vai Ss the desirability of establishing an institute for the testing of 
Pp “at rolireg Royal Botanic Gardens” (London), by W. Martindale.— 
urn. [4] rv., 208, (6th March, 1897). 
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