The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-19

to make safe for all time our demo
cratic institutions. for then, as Presi
dent Elliot states. aThe majority q
the people can be trusted not onlv Il
observe accurately and state preciseI,
me results Of observation, but also ii
dEaW lnferences from these results"
/ Ihen and nott until then shall we have
the fullest possible measure Of happi-
ness for the sslk per cent Of our PEG.
pie who can so no farther thar
through the elementary and vocational
schools.
5ergman's Address.
! Prof. III. IT. Bergman of the North
| Dakota Agricultural college, gave the
following address on the subject, How
| to Agriculturize the Teaching of Bot
any in the High School and Still Re
tain the Essential Principles of Bot
any, Tuesday afternoon:
Botany Is botany and whether it be
taught as general, agricultural, phar-
maceutical or economic botany the UNI
DERIVING principles are always the
same. The only difference is in the
materials used to show the application
or these principles and even differ
enee Of material or subject matter is
by no means necessary to successfully
implant the knowledge of the botani-
cal principles which may form the
foundation for the study of agricul-
ture, pharmacy or any other subject
with which botany is directly con-
cerned.
f4y Fr a@%
any text should be placed in the hands
OF a student with the intention Of as
signing him lessons therein which he
Is to study and recite upon. Sciences,
especially natural or biologic sciences,
should be essentially laboratory cours-
es and text should be consulted only
after thorough study of the plant or
its parts In the laboratory The use
of text, especially an illustrated one,
should be by no means permitted dur
ing the laboratory period
No expensive material or apparatus
is required to carry out very efficient
course which may be planned to run
one or two terms, one semester, or a
year. That the students be supplied
with compound microscopes is by no
means necessary nor would / consider
it even desirable. The first thirty six
weeks of botany should not require
at all
Bearing in mind the fact that micro
scopes are not generally used outside
of professional work, it is well to train |
students to observe with the unaided |
eyes or at most with an ordinary
hand lens, There are so many things |
that may be seen in this way and SO |
many facts that may be acquired /
which will be of far greater value |
to them later than the very limited |
CD gained by superficial
and faulty microscopic observation /
possibly can be.
Unfortunately we cannot in this /
state go out doors any time during /
the winter and collect materials for
laboratory use, but a good assortment /
Of plants, roots, stems, leaves, flowers,
fruits and seeds can be put up either
in a dry state or preserved in formalin
for use during the winter. Material
in formalin retains its shape and often
It's the natural color as we'll, while
the odor of formalin may be removed
by washing for a few minutes in
water.
Since the study of seeds provides a
ogical and convenient starting place
we may begin there. For our purpose
the work on seeds would be more ex-
Lensive than as given in the ordinary
texts. Instead of studying one or two
types of seeds during one or two per-
ods considerable amount of time
would be devoted to this part of the
work. Students should learn to OBJ
serve closely enough to be able to
recognize all common weed seeds. OF
course the structure, food content, and
of seeds is also studied
Common farm or garden and weed
seeds are used in this work Ger
nination tests of seeds of different
Kinds of varying age and under diff
erent conditions are made and a rec
'rd of results kept.
On roots some practical studies of
absorption, food storage, propagation
~ roots and modification of the form
Is adaptation to or as the results of
Use for these purposes is to be rec
Beets, turnips, rutab agas,
or similar vegetables, roots of corn,
wheat. trees and shrubs afford an
abundance of readily obtainable ma
erial for this work.
Plant Composition.
Experiments in the composition of
,lants, l. e., in the proportion of water,
Try matter and ash are easily made
md make an impression upon the
mind of the student that could not be
obtained by days of lecturing or text
look study. Along with this some ex-
,eriments In foods needed by plants
hould be performed. These may be
ct up by the instructor or by students
t the beginning of the term and left
n convenient place SO that the stu
ents can make observations through
ut the course of the experiment
With leaves and stems a study of
he work done by them as shown
rom experiments is invaluable in ad-
ition to the usual study of form and !.
tructure which of course should never :
e neglected. The students will be
more interested, however, in finding
THAT work various parts of plants. do !,
nd how they work. A study Of sap
food formation and
forage and evaporation of water from :
he plant are the most important feat
res here.
Flowers of corn, wheat, oats, var
ous garden plants and weeds are de- !
irable for the study Of floral struc- !
ure, pollination, fertilization and de- !,