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To study Botany meant to
collect and analyze as many
flowers as convenient.

As an introduction to the
work of analysis we learned
& recited some 200 pages
of Gray's lessons, which
gave definitions of many
terms & certain facts
regarding plant growth &
morphology. We used for
help in analysis small
pocket lenses. We desired
benefit & enjoyment from

this sort of work.

But I understand
that there are other ways
of studying plant life. There
is the method of Old St.
Pierre – half-poetical, half-
mystical – which consists on
watching the plant growing in
their [nature?] [haunts?] – considering
them esthetically – & perhaps
unintentionally transferring to
them something of one's own
subjectivity, indulging in
a bit of anthropomorphism
possibly!