4 
direct the attention of the pupil at once to the most important points 
of structure.” 
The opinions I have quoted will be acceptable to every thinking 
man, whether actually acquainted with the subject of botany or not ; 
the more so, because they have emanated from the pens of competent 
authorities — the first named as a teacher of boys, the last named as 
botanists. 
The great difficulty in the way of teaching botany in Queensland 
schools is the want of available material. There is no garden from 
which to obtain plants for examination in sufficient quantity. The 
teacher requires plants of simple structure, plain representatives of 
the most important families, particularly such as are referred to in 
Lindley’s and Oliver’s books. Such plants have simply to be grown 
in a garden just large enough to allow the cultivation of sixty to 
seventy families, each represented by one to three species. A space 
of nine square feet would suffice for the rearing of plants that would 
yield between forty to sixty twigs, each carrying a bud, a blossom, a 
fruit, and a few leaves. A walk through Bowen Park, through the 
Botanical Glarden, and a perusal of our nurserymen’s catalogues, will 
prove that all the material may be had on the spot. It only requires 
to be collected, localised, propagated, and handed to teachers resident 
in the country. 
It is almost superfluous to say that there is hardly a community 
in Queensland that would not assist their schoolmaster in establishing 
and keeping a garden for that purpose, so long as the humbie preten- 
sions as to its extent were fully understood. 
Botanical excursions are almost out of the question. 1st. Because 
the climate forbids us to take pupils for a day’s walk in the manner in 
which it is done in Europe. Near Brisbane we should have to take 
pretty long walks to reach any plants, because the immediate neigh- 
borhood produces no vegetation suitable for botanical studies. 
2ndly. Non-professional botanists cannot obtain the names of the 
native plants, because there is no herbarium which amateurs may 
consult, and I have no hesitation in saying that the Government would 
earn the warmest thanks of a considerable portion of the community 
by supplying that want at the earliest opportunity. 
To give a general impulse to the tuition of botany in schools, 
schoolmasters ought to be assisted in obtaining— 1st. The material, 
consisting of books, seeds, diagrams, lenses, knives, &c., at cost price. 
2nd. The names of plants which they may collect in their respective 
localities. I therefore suggest that a society for the promotion of 
that special object be formed in Brisbane. An attempt to do so was 
made a few months ago, and a small sum of money realised through 
an entertainment is lodged in the Savings Bank as the nucleus of a 
fund. All that now remains to be done is to bring the matter before 
the Board of Education, and the Trustees of the Grammar Schools, for 
their approval, and, if possible, recommendation ; and these having 
been obtained, to invite the co-operation of all interested in the 
