charlhs] THE XATUKE-STUDY SITl'ATIOX IX ILLIXOIS 283 



ammunition ; third, here and there a sharpshooter who did valiant 

 service. With this unorganized and ill-formed skirmish line 

 defeat was inevitable. A retreat was ordered. The lines are 

 now reforming ; there is a better understanding of the purpose of 

 the assault. There is more bullet and less powder. We are all 

 but ready for the forward movement, but as the bugle sounds, 

 may we plunge into the fray well armed and fully comprehending 

 the plan of the campaign. ' ' 



It may not be unbecoming to note that Illinois, agriculturally, 

 grants precedence to no other State. Producing 300,000,000 

 bushels of corn, she is growing men who can handle corn intelli- 

 gently. With Hopkins and others blazing the way, with Dean 

 Davenport directing a large corps of investigators and himself 

 spreading the gospel of education for efficiency, with Hall, Farr, 

 Barto and many others at work in the Farmers' Institutes and a 

 progressive body of land owners throughout the state, agriculture 

 is fast assuming the aspect of a profession. The University of 

 Illinois through its School of Agriculture is initiating young men 

 into the secrets of the soil and in increasing numbers these trained 

 men are returning to the farms. 



The State has had its quota of advanced workers in the nature- 

 study movement. Jackman stood as a foremost leader, coming 

 from Pittsburg to Chicago to ally himself with the forces under 

 Colonel Parker. A host of others have been worthy contributors 

 to the cause — Forbes, Colton, Coulter, McMurry, Caldwell, Kern, 

 Mann, are but a few names which come to mind. In the normal 

 schools, in the high schools and in very many elementary schools 

 are found teachers in whose hands nature-study values do not 

 suffer. Many college and university men are contributing 

 generously to the popularization of science. A State commission 

 of educators, through the initiative of Governor Deneen, is 

 engaged in the work of codifying the school laws and studying 

 the entire educational system with a view to recommending 

 needed changes. The movement toward agriculture, manual 

 arts and industrial education in general is very marked. 



We are fortunate in securing for this number of The Review 

 articles from State Superintendent Blair and Dean Davenport. 

 Mr. Blair is devoting himself with untiring energy and enthusiasm 

 to the betterment of the school system, and has not overlooked 

 the needs of the countrv schools. One of his innvoations last fall 



