256

FREE ACADEMY.

NORWICH, CONN, 1-6-90.

PROFESSOR C. C. BESSEY,

DEAR SIR,

A COPY OF YOUR ESSENTIALS OF BOTANY HAS FALLEN INTO MY HANDS AND I HAVE BEEN MUCH INTERESTED IN EXAMINING IT AS I AM TO TEACH BOTANY DURING THE COMING SPRING TERM.

IT OCCURRED TO ME, THAT YOU MIGHT BE WILLING TO GIVE ME A FEW WORDS OF ADVICE IN REGARD TO THE WOK I SHOULD DO, IF I WERE TO USE YOUR BOOK.

I TOOK UP BOTANY FOR TWO SUMMERS, FOR MY OWN AMUSEMENT AND INSTRUCTION, AND A CHANGE IN OUR FACULTY MADE IT NECESSARY FOR ME TO UNDERTAKE THE CHARGE OF THE BOTANY DEPARTMENT. I TRIED TO TEACH THE SUBJECT LAST SPRING UNDER VERY UNFAVORABLE CONDITIONS, WITH RESULTS THAT WERE VERY UNSATISFACTORY TO ME, THIS YEAR I AM TO TEACH A CLASS OF NORMAL SCHOLARS, AND THEY IN TURN ARE TO TEACH THE PUPILS OF THE ACADEMY. I MIGHT MENTION INCIDENTALLY THAT I TEACH PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY IN WHAT I HOPE IS THE RIGHT WAY AND AGREE WITH YOU IN THINKING THAT THE COMMITTING OF WORDS TO MEMORY FROM A BOOK IS A PRETTY POOR WAY TO TEACH ANY SCIENCE EITHER PHYSICAL OR NATURAL. THAT BY THE WAY WAS ABOUT ALL I WAS ABLE TO DO LAST YEAR AND I DID THAT POORLY ENOUGH.

BUT TO COME TO THE POINT, THE CLASS WHICH IS TO BE TAUGHT BY THE NORMALITIES WILL BE ABLE TO DEVOTE TWO HOURS OF 40 MINUTES EACH - I DON'T KNOW WHY WE CALL THEM HOURS BUT WE DO - FOR 5 DAYS PER WEEK TO THEIR WORK IN BOTANY AND WILL BE DIVIDED INTO SMALL CLASSES FOR THEIR PRACTICE AND RECITATIONS.

THE TERM DURING WHICH WE TEACH BOTANY IS NOMINALLY 11 WEEKS LONG, BUT WEHN WE THROW OUT COMMENCENT WEEK, EXAMINATION WEEK AND OUR CUSTOMARY, BUT TO ME POORLY SPENT TWO WEEKS FOR REVIEW, THER REMAIN BUT SEVEN WEEKS.