107

University of California,

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

Berkeley, NOV. 27, 1880.

PROF. C. E. BESSEY, IOWA AGR. COLLEGE.

MY DEAR SIR,

IF I HAVE BEEN REMISS IN ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECEIPT OF YOUR VALUABLE VOLUME ON BOTANY, YOU MUST ATTRIBUTE IT TO MY UNWILLINGNESS TO RESPOND IN MERELY GENERAL TERMS. IN VIEW OF THE "FUNDAMENTAL CONTRADICTION" AS SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIANS SAY: BETWEEN YOUR METHOD OF PRESENTING IN TAKING A STAND ON THE QUESTION WITHOUT MATURE DELIBERATION. YOUR BOOK IS CERTAINLY A MOST WELCOME, AND MUCH NEEDED, GUIDE TO TEACHERS OF BOTANY, WHO ARE UNDER THE MORAL OBLIGATION TO KNOW MORE ON ALL SUBJECTS TAN THEY EXPECT TO TEACH, AND WHO THUS FAR HAD TO GO FOR SUCH INFORMATION TO COSTLY BOOKS PUBLISHED IN EUROPE, AND SO FAR AS THE MOST DESIRABLE AND CONCERNED IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES. IT IS EQUALLY VALUABLE FOR THE USE OF THE ADVANCED STUDENT, WHO WANTS TO KNOW MORE OF PLANTS TAN THEIR NAMES AND MORPHOLOGY OR RATHER, ORGANOGRAPHY. I WISH THERE WERE MORE SUCH. YET WHEN I REFLECT UPON THE NUMBER OF THOSE IN MY CLASSES WHO WOULD HAVE HAD TIME OR DISPOSITION, IN THEIR HASTY RUSH FOR "AN EDUCATION", TO MASTER YOUR BOOK, I FIND THEM FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. I HAVE FAITHFULLY TRIED TO KEEP THE CLASSES INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS OF THE VEGETABLE ANATOMY, AND OF MICROSCOPIC LIFE; BUT I HAVE FOUND MYSELF, YEAR AFTER YEAR, DROPPING MORE AND MORE INTO THE VIEW OF GRAY AS EXPRESSED IN THE LAST EDITION OF THE TEXT BOOK, THAT IT IS FIRST OF ALL NECESSARY TO CREATE THE PROPER INTEREST BY EXPLAINING TO THE STUDENT WHAT HE CAN SEE, BEFORE YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHAT HE CANNOT SEE, AND MUST TAKE ON TRUST; OR REASON OUT BY A PROCESS OF LOGIC APPLIED TO FACTS, WHICH OUR PRIMARY EDUCATION LEAVES UTTERLY UNDEVELOPED EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF THE KINDERGARTEN SCHOOLS. I CANNOT BRING MYSELF TO LEAVE OUT THE SUBJECT OF MINUTE STRUCTURE ALTOGETHER, AND THINK THAT