12 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



( Icrman working in our garden this 

 year— for "The Perfect Plant Food" 

 we use was invented by Prof. Julius 

 VonSachs. 



And it looks as if we were going to 

 return them a bullet for their beans. 



Palm Branches Cover this Tree House. 



I A ALBERT MARPLE, TROPICO, CALIFORNIA. 



A novelty in the way of a tree house 

 has just been completed by a youth liv- 

 ing in Los Angeles, California. This 

 house, as may be seen in the illustra- 

 tion accompanying this brief sketch, 



A NOVEL PLAN' 



DECORATED TREE HOUSE. 



a trap door in the roof out of which the 

 owner climbs when he wants to ascend 

 to the top of the tree, which has been 

 equipped with "cross piece" steps. 



In connection with this house this 

 enterprising owner conducts an elabor- 

 ate wireless outfit and private athletic 

 grounds, consisting of jumping boards, 

 trapeze, etc. — -"The Schoolmate." 



has been erected at about the center of 

 this large dead eucalyptus tree in the 

 yard at the rear of this youth's home. 

 It is eight by eight feet in size, and the 

 most unusual thing about it is that it is 

 covered with pretty palm branches. 

 The framework of the house is made 

 of two by four timbers and one by 

 three strips, to which the palm branch- 

 es have been nailed. 



Kntrance to the room is gained by 

 means of a trap door in the floor near 

 one wall, a board with cleated steps 

 leading up to the house. There is also 



Are Rural Communities Ignorant of 

 Nature? 



A letter from a lady who lives in the 

 heart of the country says : 



"Last season the State Convention 

 of Wild Life League was held on the 

 shores of our little lake, Conneaut, the 

 largest lake in the state, and with it 

 came a goodly delegation of Boy 

 Scouts from Pittsburg and its vicinity. 

 Among their numerous stunts was a 

 tree-naming contest, which had to be 

 abandoned because no competent 

 judges could be found. This in the 

 midst of a rural community which con- 

 siders itself intelligent, and is fairlv 

 well informed on general subjects. I 

 felt ashamed that city boys should 

 know so much more about our own 

 woods and fields than our country 

 children — or our teachers." 



We have received similar expres- 

 sions of opinion from many other natural- 

 ists and along certain lines I have made 

 nersonal observations. The result is that 

 I am somewhat confused. I am not 

 able to arrive at any decided opinion 

 in the matter. I have however, come 

 to the conclusion that city people, not 

 only city children but adults, as a class, 

 are more eager to learn somewhat of 

 nature than are the country people. 



Light is thrown on the situation by 

 one of the "Fables of the Fair" by 

 Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon. She 

 speaks of two singers that w r ere invited 

 to appear before a country audience. 

 Both were skilled in the highest forms 

 of music, but one of them reasoned in 

 this manner: I will adapt myself to 

 the situation; I will dress plainly; I 

 will have as an ornament a little flower 

 from the woods or fields, and I will 

 sing familiar airs, "Bring Back My 

 Bonnv to Me," "Annie Laurie" and 

 "Jingle, Jingle All the Way." The 

 other decided to give the people some- 



