The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-10-23
Johnny Begins 20 study Botany.

Johnny Begins TO study Botany.
johnny is an initiative little fellow.
Whenever he sees any one doing any
thing, he is very apt to want to do it,
too. He came the other day to my
summer study-room in the hay barn
on the hill, where the air is always
fresh and eool-aAd found me busy
with lot of plants that had gathered
in the woods that morning. He looked
on curiously for little while, then
asked what | was doing that for.
Doing what ?"
"Why, picking all those weeds to
pieces and putting them away in those
big books.
"I'm afraid you haven't been look
ing sharp" l replied. q don't put
away those / pick to pieces"
Johnny was still again for two or
three minutes, then he broke out with,
What do you pick them to pieces
for %
told him they were plants that were
new to me, and | was studying them to
learn what they were like and what
their relations were.
Relations! Do plants have rela-
tions?"
Certainly" replied
"Thats queer! Aud is that the way
you learn so much about them ?"
Johnny asked.
"Chiefy."
CT wish 1 could do that" he said,
after another period of silent watching.
$50 20 can.
"When %
"Any time; now, if you want to-.
"Will you show me how?"
with pleasure.
"Right away?"
Right away"
"Wen," said Johnny, after waiting
awhile, I'm ready"
$50 am /.
"But don't know what to do" said
Johnny.
you must get your plants first,
said 1.
"Where 2"
"Anywhere-out in the garden, if
you like"
Johnny ran to the garden, and was
soon back again with his hands full of
leaves and stems.
Will these do ?" he asked
Suppose you wanted to study ami
mails, and l should give you the ear of
a dog, the tail of cat, and a piece of
sheepskin to begin with; do you think
they would help you much ?"
johnny laughed at the idea of such
a funny mess, and said he thought a
whole dog would be better.
"a good deal BETTER" said "and
a whole plant would be better than all
these pieces. "
Cant you tell me what their names
are from the pieces :"
81 could" 1 replied, "but names
are not what you are to study. You
are to study plants.
"Of COARSE" said Johnny, not
knowing what else to say.
81 will go with you, said, "and
show you how to get something to
study"
When we reached the garden,
stopped to dig up weed that few boys
in the country do not know something
about-purslain, or, as it is commonly
called, 2)uStey.
what is the use of taking that?'
inquired Johnny. Everybody knows
what that is.
"We'll take it, for all that" said
"perhaps we may learn something
about it that you never noticed before.
"That's catnip," said Johnny, as
stood near the first. "You arent
a-going to take that, are you?"
"Why not?"
"Cause," said Johnny, eve know
catnip ever since can remember.
"Shut your eyes," said l. "Nov
tell me what kind of stalk catnil
has"
"why," said Johnny, hesitatint
=" it's just like--anyo other stalk"
"Like pusley?"
ono; pusley hasn't any stalk; j
Just sprawls on the ground.
"Like MULLEN stalk ?"
"No," said Johnny; "not like that.
Like corn-stalk or thistle ?"
"Not like them, either, said Johnny
"It's like guess don't remembe
exactly what it is like"
$50 You don't know catnip so vel
as you thought" said L.
These two will be enough to begi
with" L continued. "Study ther
carefully, and when have finished wit
my plants 1 will come to see how yo
get on"
Johnny soon tired of studying b
himself, or may be he did not find yer
much to learn ; at any rate it was but
little before he stood at my table, plant
in hand.
"Well," 1 said, as / put away m
work, "what have you discovered p
"Catnip-stalk is square," said IL
young botanist.
Good, said anything more
" 1t smells" said Johnny.
"What like?"
"Like-like catnip-tea," said Johnn
every like, indeed, said 1. "Wh
else have you learned ?"
Johnny hesitated.