The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-15
THE NEW METHOD IN BOTANY.

| THE NEW METHOD In BUTANIs
| A late number of the Botanical Gazette,
Professor Coulters periodical is entirely de-
voted to laboratory work, methods aud APP
pliances in the United States and Europe
| Prof. j. c. Arthur gives an account of the
leading botanical laboratories in this country.
Those of Harvard University are the most ex-
tensive and important. giving the best facili-
ties for original research. Cornell University
stands next for expensive buildings, possess
ing the finest and largest botanical lecture
room in America. The building is 97x58 feet
and three stories high, and is part Of the
Sage College endowment. Cornell, however,
with its great resources, has done scarcely no
original work in botany, being far behind
Wabash College or Purdue in this respect
and proving the growing belief that nothing
can take the place of enthusiastic specialists
as teachers of science, botanical or otherwise.
The laboratory Of Illinois University, under
Professor Burrill, takes the lead in
the study of the parasitic diseases
Of plants. Michigan Agricultural Col
lege has an imposing building, costing
$40, 900 for botanical museum and labora-
tory. Good work has been done here, and
more teachers furnished for the agricultural
schools Of the great West and Southwest
than from any other school in the country.
Purdue has had several excellent teachers
from Michigan. The Iowa Agricultural Col
lege. at Ames took high standing in botan-
ical research through the labors Of Professor
| Bessey, one Of the most eminent OF the West
ern authors and workers, and well known by
his book on vegetable anatomy and physiol
ogy, based on the great German work of
Sachs.
| The new biological building Of Wabash
| College, opened last year, contains two labora-
has been done by Professor Coulter and his
students the best work in systematic botany
| and vegetable histology carried on. in the
| United States in the last decade The results
are known to scientists, in part by 'Coulter's
Manual Of Botany of the Western States, !"
which was reviewed at length in the
Journal some time since, and also by
Professor Coulter's Manual of Laboratory
Processes" which has been accepted and
Endorsed by the leading laboratory teachers Of
the country. Twelve typical plants are select
ed, representing the great groups of the veg
etable kingdom from lowest to highest, and
these are studied in all their relationships and
| aspects.
The Botanical Gazette is also edited and
published from Wabash College, and has be-
| come the leading botanical journal of the
United States and has also an equal circula-
| ton in Europe. The liberal attitude of its
board Of directors, who say that "any book or
any material procurable with money will be
obtained for original work" gives assurance
of the opportunity for conducting special in
vestigations. Every citizen of Indiana has
reason to feel proud of the opportunities for
original research in that branch Of biological
science most intimately connected with the
material wealth Of the State, and for which
such excellent means Of study are provided as
at Wabash and Purdue. The laboratory Of the
latter college was opened in 1881 by
Prof. G. r. Barnes. student and now CO.
worker with Professor Coulter. The laboratory
is furnished with every necessity, and can
work twenty four students at once it is open
from 9 till 4, six days in the week, and is a
prominent feature of the university. Wis
consin and Nebraska have also taken up the
laboratory system which, as method of teach
ing, has but just entered upon its second de-
cade in our colleges.
/ The last OF the twelve botanical laboratories
of the United States which may be said to
have anything like complete outfit for botan-
ical research has just been opened in ST.
Louis, in connection with Washington Uni
versity and the Shaw gardens. This laboratory
has the treasures in books and plants of the
eminent botanist Engelmann, and bids fair to
be botanical school of the highest grade
These laboratories average over twenty COM
pound microscopes, and are each used through
the year by from fifty to hun
dred students. The courses are almost in
variably elective in botany, and are not infrs-
quently carried through two or three full years
Their growth has been recent and quiet but
indicative of a general interest in botany, and
of demand for new and better modes Of in
struction. The most that they do now is to
study the structure and development of
plants, their classification, and some notes on