Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-06-14
BOTAhE FOR YOUNG PA, PIE,
It Ma, hr Hade Profitable and Enter
tanning Study.

!
tanning Study.
Many are under the impression that to
study botany means simply to learn
Latin names, and that the knowledge of
these names is its own only end and aim.
| If this We're true botany woull indeed
be a dry and not very useful study, al
though there would still be some benefit
in being able to speak of plants exactly
instead of inexactly, and to speak of any
| possible plant instead of comparatively
restricted number. But to learn Latin
names is only the first step in learning to
know the plants they representa- need
full step if ones knowledge is ever to
amount to much, but in no sense an end
or aim. When simple handbook can
be used so that the name of a plant can
be found in it (the common name always
| appearing with the scientific), then all
other facts about the plant can be read
| at a glance and unless this can be done
most of these facts will never be gath
cred. Knowing the name, we find the
manner of the plants growth, the re-
gions where it is common or rare, the
character of the spots where it may
most hopefully be looked for, its
seasons of blooming and fruiting,
and its relationship to other species,
with the facts upon which this relation
ship is founded, as we'll as those which
make its own individuality clear. Is not
all this worth knowing, even at the cost
of dealing for the moment with the
ugliest of Latin names. If child finds
rosy Arethusa with twin blossoms,
will not his pleasure in it and his desire
to search for other flowers both be stimu-
lated by the knowledge that his treasure
is very rare one? Or if he discovers
that the pretty little Bunch berry, which
carpets some woody spot is first cousin
to some big Flowering Dogwood, and
discovers, too, the reason why, will not
his interest in it be increased? Let him
learn why an Orchid is an Orchid, why
the tiny Ladies' Tresses deserve the
name as much as the gorgeous Cattleya
Or Oncidium of the greenhouse, and he
has gained something which surely can
not decrease his enjoyment of the
beauty of either.
But to do this, it may be objected,
beautiful flowers must be pulled to
pieces, and this will "deaden the sense
of beauty" BY no means The truth
is quite the other way. No one who has
not once pulled flower to pieces can
realize in the great majority of cases,
how beautiful it is. All its beauty
is not in its larger features or
on the outside of its cup In the
interior, in the hidden recesses where
the great work of reproduction goes on
in a myriad different ways, each more
marvellous and admirable than the other
here resides great part of the beauty
of all flowers and the greater part of the
| beauty of not a few. Even if it led to
nothing but a knowledge of Natures
delight in making the tiniest features
of her productions lovely to our eyes,
the close examination of floral structures
would be well worth many hours of a
busy mans time. Once this has been
learned, we do not need always to see it.
Seeing the flower as whole, we not
only know its name, habits and relation
ships but remember its structure. The
exterior suggests the interior, and a
knowledge of the interior explains the
| lovely individuality of the envelope.
Even the slightest smattering of botani-
cal knowledge will greatly increase in
stead of lessening the enjoyment of any
one who by nature has any love for
flowers.
To learn enough to widen ones inter-
est in natures products in not very
difficult task. Indeed, there is no other
science in which beginning is so easily
made or gives SO large return in
pleasure Materials for study are
everywhere at hand; no travelling is
needed, no great exertion and no outlay
of money. The useful tools are as easily
procured. A single handbook will give
all requisite preliminary instruction,
full descriptions of all plants within a
very wide area, a glossary of terms to
help out the weakest memory, diction-
airy of common names. With a knife, a
long pin, and common magnifying
glass the student has all he wants and
plants, even when withered and dis
sected, make litter to which no mother
would object, as she might to the ma
terials of the boy who has passion for
flying and creeping things. A few
weeks of work, with living plants to
illustrate the printed text will seem
more like play than work, and will en-
able any young person to identify all
the plants in the neighborhood of his
home. Of all the sciences, this is the
one whose study should meet with every
encouragement as a happy and useful
employment for our young folks sum-
mer hours = Garden and Forest.
When Men Buy Bonnets.