171
BEGINNING Botany. —In teaching botany during the past twelve or fifteen years, I have generally set students at work for several weeks, in the beginning, with specimens only. These are given each member, and he is required to investigate and report at the meeting of the class. Some of these reports are made in writing. More or less of this work is done throughout the course. It has proved very satisfactory to pupil and teacher.

170 
In March, before the opening of vegetation, the last class of freshmen began with the study of young branches of numerous kinds of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. I send you the notes of W. F. Hoyt, one member of the class. I do not know that they are any better than many others which were presented: 

“A comparison of the leaves, buds and young branches of the Scotch pine with those of the Austrian pine. 

“To a casual observer there is little difference between these two pines, but on close inspection it will be noticed that the Austrian bears a medium-sized cone, while the Scotch has a very small one, grown sparingly. [It was not intended to study cones at this time.]

“Again, the leaves of the Austrian pine are from five to five and a-half inches long. They are thick and stiff, while those of the Scotch pine are from two to three and a-half inches long, and are quite slender and limber. In both the leaves have the same shape; in both the leaves are in pairs, and when placed together make a long round body. The covering of the lower part of the leaves extends much farther up on the Austrian, and is of a much darker color than on the Scotch pine. “The leaves of the Scotch pine are lighter in color; the tree and branches more slender. 

“The outer bark of the Austrian is thicker and darker, and the primary leaf scales shows very plainly. The leaf scales do not show plainly in the Scotch pine. Both have three layers of bark, the outer being tough and thin, the next dark-green and spongy, the inner white; in the Austrian quite tender; in the Scotch tougher and more compact. 

“As a general rule the Scotch pine sends out five branches in a whorl, while the Austrian pines show no such regularity in this respect. On cutting the limb the Scotch pine discharges more pitch than is discharged by the Austrian pine. The wood of the Scotch pine is a little lighter in color, the rings more plainly marked and the pith a little larger.” 

In a comparison of the twigs of butternut with those of the pepperidge, A. E. Hager observed, among other things, that the pith of pepperidge contained numerous hard transparent partitions. Our text-books all tell us of the cavities in the pith of butternut. 

Work done later in the course was better done—W. J. Beal. 
Lansing, Mich.