282 THE NA TUR E - S TL 7 1Y R E I 'IE W [z : 8-n< w. , . 906 



organization of interested persons to promote the movement and give 

 the right encouragement thereto, the most gratifying results may be 

 obtained. This has been exemplified in a very marked degree by the 

 Home Gardening Association of Cleveland, Ohio, whose reports show 

 that they have interested a large part of the community in gardening 

 and in the improvement of home surroundings, and that the annual 

 number of seed packets distributed through this Association has 

 reached very many thousands. This result, however, has only been 

 reached by active and continued work by the members of the Associa- 

 tion by the appointment of committees to visit and inspect the gardens 

 of the children and to encourage them by exhibitions for their products 

 and by prizes. In this way, a general interest has been aroused 

 among the parents and the possessors of homes to the extent of 

 developing general interest in gardening. 



The conclusion may be drawn that the conditions exist for the easy 

 development of a large increase in gardening. The number of gar- 

 dens and flowers may be multiplied not two or three, but very many 

 times, and this by the latent and surplus energies of children ready 

 and eager for the work. 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society is doing pioneer work in 

 this direction through its Educational Committee, in establishing 

 prizes for individual effort, and for school-gardens open to the whole 

 state. Work of this kind will result in great good to the community, 

 and this movement should be prosecuted with the same systematic 

 effort that is being put into manual training. 



THE TEACHER VS. A FIXED COURSE OF NATURE-STUDY 



BY T. R. CROSWELL 

 Los Angeles, Calif 



There is a decided difference of opinion as to the best method of 

 arranging the course of nature-study for a system of schools. Some 

 leaders would outline in detail the work of each grade, and would 

 expect this outline to be followed closely; others would indicate the 

 course only in a general way, and would encourage the individual 

 teacher to pursue that line which she knows most about and in which 

 she has the greatest interest. I believe the latter is the correct posi- 



