1 66 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



tKat little has so opened my eyes to the possibiHties of what 

 might be done, if we could have the right kinds of teachers and 

 schools, that I want to interest every one I can in helping along 

 the day when children shall know that God's country is the most 

 desirable place in which to live, and that they may be taught 

 the dignity of labor, and the pleasure of study of Nature's laws. 



Such schools are already doing practical work in some west- 

 em states and I am pleased to see by the recent teachers' conven- 

 tion in Portland that steps have already been taken in our own 

 state to introduce agricultural studies into our own rural schools. 



I find that some of the children who are the dullest in books 

 are the most observant in out-door life. All children are inter- 

 ested in birds and flowers. It is not as easy to interest them in 

 insects as so many have an antipathy to caterpillars. Every 

 spring we enjoy helping the birds build their nests, by putting 

 out building material. A great many birds will utilize soft rags 

 and yam and strings. I have an oriole's nest which was built 

 in an elm across the street this year, which is almost a solid 

 mass of white rags. 



Sometimes I am asked how I find time to do such things and 

 still attend to household duties. Did you ever notice that one 

 can generally find time for what one wants to do very much. 

 Some women find time to do fancy work, others belong to liter- 

 ary clubs or whist parties. Some women keep their houses 

 immaculate. I can't. The children track in lots of dirt, but we 

 have hard wood floors which are easily swept. We dress 

 plainly, live plainly, wash with a machine and iron only the 

 necessary things. By study one can learn to save much in 

 housework. I have sometimes said that I had rather my chil- 

 dren would remember what good times they had with mother, 

 than what a perfect housekeeper she was. We have such grand 

 opportunities for plain living and high thinking if we will only 

 seek for them instead of being satisfied with the husks. I 

 believe more in homekeeping than housekeeping. 



E. P. Powell recently wrote in the Independent that we spend 

 too much time and money building our houses and then filling 

 them with so many unnecessary things, that it makes slaves of 

 us to take care of them. 



Farmers' wives as a rule work too hard and stay in-doors too 

 closely. Last spring I decided that I must stay out-of-doors 



