The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-28
KNOWLEDGE OF PLANTS.
1t Is More Useful than Many Other
Things Less Neglected.
Brooklyn Eagle.

lOOhi
Last year several boys in q Hudson river
town were poisoned by eating the roots of
a. strange plant. Two boys in Newark were
were picking what they thought were dan
delion roots, and after eating some OF them
they became dazed and unconscious. One of
the two is dead, but the other may recover.
AS the boys were eleven and thirteen years
of age, they should have. known dandellon,
even if they had not developed a sufficient
delicacy of taste and a sufficient amount of
caution to refrain from eating the raw
roots of strange plants. But town boys
lack the raining Of those in the country in
many essentials. 1t is not likely that a
farmer lad would gather strange roots and
eat them uncooked; but If he did he would
be reasonably sure TO know to what plants
they belonged. The fact that people poison
themselves with toadstools, which they
remembered; but the mushroom is so little
used in this country i and ITS fsu virtues t ie are so 80
the agricultural population, suffer from this
cause.
might not be an entire waste OF time to in
troduce a primary course in botany in the
public schools. The pupils might at least
he made to know the common plants and
flowers by sight, for there are dozens of va
rieties that grow even in the vacant lots
and yards of the city, and they should Se
warned against experimenting to any ex-
tent with any of them, especially In a raw
state TIL simplified study of plants would
more than such problems as, III a man
had 2 and 13-l7ths of q peck Of oats and
SOlQ -Jtln ol nf "a 81 a 49,
how much had he left after he had bought
one glass and a quarter of beer at AS cents
a glass;. The immediate conclusion would
head in the county for buying and selling
on such terms. and the pupil would really
find as much use In his adult years. IN know
ing a chamomile or a plaintain rod when
he saw it as in knowing the answer to- the
absurd question about the man, the oats
A slight study of plant form and plant life
will not only interest and instruct the chill
I.ox, I.f ~ rvflf huUa- a refining effect IN
that it win open their eyes to the beauty
that is so common about them, and tend
to make them considerate of 1t in other
make a Diaz for a Corot. and who would
readily distinguish the planet Mars from
Jupiter, cannot in some cases ten an sster
is a daisy, too. If the youngsters could be
taken in the corntry-not into the parks, be-
cause they are kept compaTatixeiy Tree OF
made to point out the plants that grow
almost everywhere, and to state their uses
or their vicious tendencies when they nad
them, they would be repeating a lesson that
would be of every bit as much advantage
to them as the bounding Of Thibet and the
it may be said that II would do lust as Wen
if the plants were picked and brought into
the school room ,5ad n,ant t "a n;,ii you d, see. ~
looking thing from one in health and in
stu. To really know the plants IL is nee
essary to see them In their places, to see
What kind Of soil or bog or waller they
look like. whether they prefer shade. or
are Influenced in color and appearance BY
the seasons. This much OF teaching need
n ne ea ,nxDsss q certain humble plant a coptis
trifolia, the teacher can explain TO his class
that 1t is d gold thread. and it VIII do ex-
The important fact is less to know the
anatomy or physiology or Latin name of
the herb than to know the herb.