1905.] DISCUSSION. 229 



in elementary science and nature study, not so much by talking 

 of them as by observation and experiment, and we try to show 

 the application of these in our daily lives. Of late we have 

 begun to develop the idea of the school garden as a central 

 feature of our nature work. We find that it pays. We believe 

 that the school garden will become the parent of many home 

 gardens. We know that it leads to a more intelligent interest 

 in growing things and appreciation of their value, and that it 

 lets a ray of light in on the working of natural laws that 

 illuminates all our science work. 



The problem in the country school is equally pressing but 

 quite different. The ideals of this part of the country have been 

 turned away from the country and agriculture toward the city 

 and business. Very many of the more ambitious young men 

 feel that farm work is unprofitable and monotonous. 



I believe it is the opinion of those who have studied the mat- 

 ter that very many of our farms may be made, by modern 

 methods, to yield a much larger return than they do at present. 

 If this is so it ought to be made known to the young people of 

 the country and definitely illustrated by experiments and inves- 

 tigations with growing plants, soils, fertilizers, etc. The 

 thoughts of older people become crystallized and their habits 

 of work fixed. It is not easy for them to adopt new methods. 

 We may work most rapidly through the children. If the young 

 man can be made to see that there is a profit to be made from 

 working the home farm this will go a long way toward induc- 

 ing him to stay there and develop it. 



Farm work is often done by rule of thumb methods. Tra- 

 dition has settled the main problems. For this reason farm 

 work often seems mere drudgery. Its monotony is at once 

 relieved by a realization that the problems are alive — that it 

 requires a considerably higher intelligence and a broader knowl- 

 edge to run a farm to the best advantage than to fill most office 

 or factory positions. The boy who is led to see that there are 

 problems worthy of his highest eft'ort waiting to be worked out 

 on the farm will be given the strongest incentive to remain and 

 meet them. 



It is hardly intended, I suppose, that I should attempt to 

 outline a course of study here. The State Board of Education 

 has published an excellent pamphlet by Mr. H. N. Loomis 

 entitled " Lessons on Plants." The teacher who will follow 



