1 7 2 THE NA TURE-STUD V RE VIE IV U: 6 - SE pt., ,908 



books are now a reflection of the college text-book and this is 

 likely to be a great misfortune. Even in the college realm many 

 of the books are beyond the abilities and the experience of the 

 student. 



The practical question before the American Nature-Study 

 Society is how to extend the nature-study idea and to establish it 

 in a greater number of schools. While we are safely past the epoch 

 of propaganda it is nevertheless incumbent on us to see that the 

 nature-study spirit is kept before the public. If this society 

 meets its full opportunity it will come to be the recognized expres- 

 sion of the nature-study idea. It is, therefore, important that 

 this society be free from confusion of interests. It must proceed 

 in singleness of purpose on a purely educational basis. It may 

 also be necessary for the society, or some committee of the society 

 to agree on some few subjects that can at first be offered to 

 inexperienced teachers as concrete pieces of work that they may 

 be able to undertake. Such recommendation should not be made 

 for the purpose of limiting any one who is competent to handle 

 nature-study topics, but only to suggest to those who are not yet 

 quite sure of themselves, and to direct their efforts into the most 

 productive channels. It is important that the nature-study 

 work should be a popular work. It is very easy for societies to 

 drift into merely technical discussions and to lose sight of the 

 larger processes and ends. I think it would be a misfortune if 

 the American Nature-Study Society should become an organiza- 

 tion for technical discussion. It should be in the best sense pop- 

 ular, inasmuch as it is not the aim of the organization to expound 

 the importance of any special line of information or subject-mat- 

 ter, but to set persons free. 



