JAMAICA. 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. 



Vol. VIi 



Hew Series Iflarcli, April, Way, 1900 Parts III-V 



TEACHING AGRICULTURAL PRIN(jIPLES IN SCHOOLS. 



The Director of Prblic Gardens read some notes on the subject of 

 teaching agricultural principles in schools at the Agricultural Conference 

 at Barbados last January, pointing out that such teaching should consist 

 of practical work and experiment, and that no books should be put into 

 the hands of the children, but that they should as far as possible them- 

 selves carr}^ on the experimental work. Several instances were given 

 of the kind of experiment that would be useful. 



Since the Conference a small book has been published by Messrs. 

 Macmillan of London and New York, which can be strongly recom- 

 mended for use by teachers for the purpose. It is entitled, "The Nature 

 and Work of Plants : An introduction to the study of Botany." Tlie 

 author is Dr. D. T. MacDougal, Director of the Laboratories in the 

 New York Botanical Garden. 



To those who do not know how the study of botany has been re- 

 volutionised during the last 30 years, it may seem strange that a book 

 on botany should be recommended as a first step in teaching agriculture. 

 However when it is stated that the new way of studying botany is to 

 look upon each plant as a living creature and to watch its life and the in- 

 fluences that affect it, it will be recognised how indispensable the study 

 is to all those who have to deal with plants in earning their livelihood. 



The course outlined in this book is essentially a study of the func- 

 tions or action of the plant, and the organs are considered chiefly as 

 instruments for the performance of work with but little attention to 

 their morphology. The apparatus needed to carry out the experimen- 

 tal work may be found in any household with the exception of a hand 

 lens magnifying 6 to 10 times, which may be purchased for one or two 

 •hillings. 



The headings of the chapters are: — 



I. The Composition and Purposes of Plants ; II. The material of 

 which Plants are made up ; III. The manner in which different kindg 



