The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-11-06
Johnny Begins to study Botany.


Whenever he sees any one doing any
thing, he IS very apt to want to do 1t,
too. Ee came the other day to my
summer study-room in the hay-barn
on the hill, where the air is always
fresh and cool-and found me busy
with lot of plants that I had gathered
in the woods that morning. He looked
on curiously for little while, then
asked what [ was doing that for.
Doing what %
'sWhy, picking all those weeds to
pieces and putting them away in those
big books.
"Tm afraid you haven't been look
ing sharp, I replied. g I don't put
away those pick to pieces.
Johnny was still again for two or
three minutes, then he broke out with,
s. What do you pick them to pieces
for p
told him they were plants that were
new TO ne, and l was studying them to
learn what they were like and what
their relations were.
" Relations! Do plants have rela-
,tions?"
Certainly I replied.
'FThat queer! And is that the way
you learn SO much about them p
Johnny asked.
"ChieHy"
81 wish I could do that he said,
after another period of silent watching
$50 80 can.
When ,"
Any time: now, if you want to-"
'' Win you show me how p
F'With pleasure.
fright away? =
Right away"
oven, said Johnny, after waiting
awhile, . I'm ready"
's So em -
"But I don't know what to do" said
Johnny.
''You must get your plants first, :"
said L
"Where q"
"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.
'F Will these do ?" ne asked.
''Suppose You wanted to study ami
mails, and I should give you the ear of
a dog, the tail of a cat, and 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 &c and
a whole plant would be better than all
these pieces.
"Can't you tell me what their names
are from the pieces -
81 could,' I replied, ''but names
are not what you are to study. You
are to study plants.
"Of course said Johnny, not
knowing what else to say.
81 viii go with you,' I said, "and
show you how to get something to
study"
When we reached the garden, I
stopped TO dig up a weed that few boys
In the country do not know something
about-purslain, or, as it is commonly
called ou85ey.
'sWhat is the use of taking that?'
inquired Johnny. Everybody knows
3We'n take it, for all that, - I said
ssperhaps we may learn something
about it that you never noticed before. .
s'That's catnip,' said Johnny, as ]
began to dig. up another plant that
stood near the first. ''You aren't
a-going to take that, are you?"
s. Why not?"
soCarsse,'' said Johnny, ''Tve known
s,atnip ever since can remember
ssShut your eyes," said l. "Nov
tell me what kind of stalk catniT
has
ssWhy," said Johnny. hesitatine
1t it's just hke--any other stalk %
Like pns1ey
"No; pusley hasn't any stalk i
lust sprawls on the ground.
ssIike MULLEN stalk ?"
etNo. said Johnny not like that.
Like corn stalk or thistle ?''
ssNot like them, either, said Johnny
ats ike-I guess I don't remembe
exactly what it is like.
$50 you don't know catnip so vel
as you Thought, said l.
tSThese two will be enough to begi
with !" / continued. 50 Study ther
oarafn77v and when have finished wit
INV plants I will come to see how yo
Johnny o 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.
work, q what have you discovered Z"
Catnip-stalk is square, said th
Young botanist.
Good" said anything more
uTt smells said Johnny.
'sWhat like? ?"
sI.ike-like catnip-tea, said Johnn,
"Verv like, indeed, F." said I. "Whi
else have you learned !?
Johnny hesitated. y,
tIs the pusley stem anything III
DO Won call those stems, when tht
don't stand up ?'' was Johnny's reply.
"Yeg, those are stems.
They're round, y said Johnny, !" al
smooth. Catnip is fuzzy little, al
the stems are straight.
ANYTHING more ?"
ssThe leaves are bigger than Pusl'
leaves, and thinner and softer' sa
Johnny. comparing agg.hea them. w;t,, the sta
yet, said. "Can you tell me an
That's all / know, said Johnny.
Glow about the color !"
Its green"