The name of this volume suggests its purpose, Botany, in the past, has often meant much highly technical study of floral structure, or internal anatomy of plants, but very little of human interest. The authors hope by means of this book to supplement the usual text-books of the science, which must, of necessity, be concerned chiefly with fundamental conceptions of morphology and physiology. The aim is to supply a fund of information that shall be of value to college students, high-school teachers, and the interested public. The material herein (about half of which is adapted from Robbins', Botany of crop plants) has been used by the authors for a number of years in a brief one-term course for college students. It furnishes a background of knowledge of the world's commercial plant products both for students of botany and for those whose interests are in the fields of geography, economics, and agriculture. Illustrative laboratory work is easily arranged and has been found to be unusual interest to students. The book includes a discussion of common crop plants of orchard, garden, and field, also, the more usual ornamentals; an account is given also of plants in tropical and sub-tropical countries which yield such materials of commerce as tea, coffee, spices, drugs, fibers, and tropical fruits.
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