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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



BY HARLAN H. BALLARD, PlTTSFlELD, 

 MASS. 



Originator and First President of The Agassiz 

 Association 



The Agassiz Association, for the ob- 

 servation and study of nature, was 

 founded in 1875 by the writer, in con- 

 nection with a school which he was 

 then teaching in Lenox, Mass. It was 

 the outgrowth of a life-long love for 

 nature, and a belief that education is 

 incomplete unless it include some prac- 

 tical knowledge of the common objects 

 that surround us. For several years 

 the little school society continued its 

 work pleasantly and with profit. The 

 president gradually came to the opin- 

 ion (strengthened by reading an ac- 

 count of a somewhat similar, though 

 far more limited, organization in 

 Switzerland), that there might be 



other communities in which a like so- 

 ciety would be welcomed, and several 

 branch societies were organized. 



We chose the name "Agassiz" be- 

 cause it was then uopermost in mind. 

 His then recent death was fresh in the 

 hearts of the nation; and his birth in 

 Switzerland, where a similar organi- 

 zation was said to exist, rendered it 

 esoecially appropriate. The choice was 

 wiser than we knew. No one can read 

 Mrs. Agassiz's life of her husband 

 without feeling that no name could 

 better stimulate us to faithful work. 



Having thus selected the name, a 

 letter was sent to Prof. Alexander 

 Agassiz, asking permission to publicly 

 adont it. Prof. Agassiz replied that 

 he "cordially assents that this very 

 pleasant and useful plan be called The 

 Agassiz Association, and that we have 

 his hearty good wishes for its success." 



A general invitation to unite in the 

 work was published in 1880. 



This invitation met a response at 



