Every effort should be made to apply the lessons to daily life. The very reason for knowing plants and animals is that one may live with them, and the reason for knowing oneself is that he may live his daily life with some degree of intelligence. The teacher should not be afraid to make all teaching useful and practical. In many cases a state syllabus designates just what subjects shall be covered; the topics may be chosen easily from the text, and the order of them is usually left largely to the discretion of the teacher. Finally, let it be repeated that it is much better for the beginning pupil to acquire a real conception of a few central principles and points of view respecting common forms that will enable him to tie his knowledge together and organize it and apply it, than to familiarize himself with any number of mere facts about the lower forms of life which, at the best, he can know only indirectly and remotely. If the pupil wishes to go farther in later years, he may then take up special groups and phases. CONTENTS PAGE GENERAL INTRODUCTION I xi PART I. PLANT BIOLOGY CHAPTER I. NO TWO PLANTS OR PARTS ARE ALIKE P 1 II. THE STRUGGLE TO LIVE P 4 III. SURVIVAL OF THE FIT P 7 IV. PLANT SOCIETIES P 9 V. THE PLANT BODY P 15 VI. SEEDS AND GERMINATION P 20 VII. THE ROOT--THE FORMS OF ROOTS P 32 VIII. THE ROOT--FUNCTION AND STRUCTURE P 38 IX. THE STEM--KINDS AND FORMS--PRUNING P 49 X. THE STEM--ITS GENERAL STRUCTURE P 59 XI. LEAVES--FORM AND POSITION P 73 XII. LEAVES--STRUCTURE AND ANATOMY P 86 XIII. LEAVES--FUNCTION OR WORK P 92 XIV. DEPENDENT PLANTS P 106 XV. WINTER AND DORMANT BUDS P 111 XVI. BUD PROPAGATION P 121 XVII. HOW PLANTS CLIMB P 129 XVIII. THE FLOWER--ITS PARTS AND FORMS P 133 XIX. THE FLOWER--FERTILIZATION AND POLLINATION P 144 XX. FLOWER-CLUSTERS P 155 XXI. FRUITS P 163 XXII. DISPERSAL OF SEEDS P 172 XIII. PHENOGAMS AND CRYPTOGAMS P 176