THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 45 
pression to the conception of living, objective teachings of the sci- 
ences. He said : "Men must be instructed in wisdom so far as 
possible, not from books, but from the heavens, the earth, the 
oaks and the beeches, — that is, they must learn and investigate 
the things themselves and not merely by observation and testi- 
monies of other persons concerning the things." The modern 
university student of Botany puts his elders to blush by his minute 
knowledge of some small point in vegetable histology. But he 
can tell you little of the contents of a country hedgerow, and if 
you put an unfamiliar plant in his hands he is pretty much at a 
loss how to set about recognizing its affinities. Prof. Henslow, a 
famous teacher of botany, was probably the first to introduce into 
the botanical examination for degrees in London, the system of 
practical examination. He always held that a man of no powers 
of observation was quite an exception. He thought and proved 
that botany might be used ''for strengthening the observant fac- 
ulties and expanding the reasoning powers of children in all 
classes of society." — M. E. M. 
Tropical Plants in Florida. — It is possible that in the not 
far distant future, Florida will be noted for several other exotic 
fruits besides oranges. From a paper read before the American 
Pomological Society at Buffalo last September, we learn that 
Southern Florida will grow almost any fruit that can be produced 
in the West Indies. In Dade and ]Monroe counties the cocoanut 
and guava grow wild. That delicious fruit, the mango, takes 
kindly to the soil, as does also the alligator pear {Per sea gratis- 
sima), which is beginning to be much used as a salad fruit. The 
date does well in favorable situations, and bananas, lemons, grape- 
fruit and limes are common, of course. Among other and less 
well known fruits that have been proven easy of culture in proper 
situations are the pawpaw (Carica papaya) , the sapodilla or nase- 
berry (Achras sapota) , the marnwell (Marninea Americana) , the 
sour sop {Anona mnricata), the cherimoya {A. cherimolia) , and 
the sugar apple {A. squamosa) . The apples, pears, cherries and 
the bush fruits of higher latitudes, however, are missing from the 
localities that are suitable to these foreigners. 
