NATURE-STUDY EXTENSION WORK. 



The pedagogical extension teaching of the college consists of the 

 Junior Naturalist and other work with children, and the Home 

 Nature-Study Course and correspondence for teachers. The former 

 is in charge of John W. Spencer and Miss Alice McCloskey, and 

 the latter of Mrs. Comstock. 



At the close of the second year, 1906-7, the organization known 

 as the Junior Naturalist Club consisted of 18,966 children and 808 

 clubs. Hundreds of applications were made for admission to the 

 club after the fund which provided for it was exhausted. During 

 the year, 20,115 letters or compositions were received from Junior 

 Naturalists. These compositions covered a wide range of country 

 life subjects. It was very evident that in New York State an in- 

 terest in the usefulness of this educational work had been awakened. 



On investigation it was found that 80 per cent of the children 

 in correspondence with the University were in communities of less 

 than 8,000 inhabitants, a large number being in distinctly rural dis- 

 tricts. The fact has led us to feel that the purpose for which the 

 Junior Naturalist Clubs were organized has been fairly well accom- 

 plished. General nature-study has prepared the way for introduc- 

 ing nature-study agriculture into the rural schools. 



Now that general nature-study has become a part of the school 

 curriculum there is no longer need for the New York State College 

 of Agriculture to continue propaganda in this field. The value of 

 educating a child in the terms of his environment has been acknowl- 

 edged, and as a result, a nature-study syllabus for use in all public 

 schools has been prepared by the State Education Department. 

 The New York State College of Agriculture has now an opportunity 

 to develop a direct interest in work in elementary agriculture. 

 Teachers in rural schools throughout the State can be helped to 

 give instruction in the principles of agriculture from the nature- 

 study point of view, such lessons to be so prepared as to have an 

 all-round educational value. Therefore, at the close of this year, 

 we feel that the aim for which we made propaganda has been 

 accomplished, and that our future work with the children of New 

 York State will be nature-study agriculture; this outlook is fully 

 explained in the first issue of the Cornell Rural School Leaflet, 

 issued October, 1907. 



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