250 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



When the great-grandpa shall be no 

 more, I sincerely hope this rare but 

 praiseworthy trait will be continued by 

 every successive editor and writer in 

 the family. I have learned much from 

 "Gleanings in Bee Culture" in regard 

 to the best method of selling honey, 

 although I do little of that. I have 

 learned many details about the man- 

 agement and care of hive bees, yet 

 when I look introspectively into 

 my own mind I find there an uplift and 

 an inspiration to live a life as it should 

 be lived, given to me not so much by 

 "Gleanings in Bee Culture" as by "The 

 Root Family Memoirs." 



A Student Better Than a Reader. 



The Agassiz Association does not 

 exist as an incorporated publishing 

 house to issue The Guide to Nature, 

 but the magazine exists as an aid in 

 building up and making more efficient 

 The AA. a company of students, and 

 ArcAdiA, its clearing house of infor- 

 mation. A guide is to tell and to in- 

 spire to go forward, not to be read ; to 

 be a helper is the purpose of this maga- 

 zine. 



It is only one of the many methods 

 of accomplishing Louis Agassiz's oft 

 quoted principles, "Study nature not 

 books." Yet everybody knows that 

 that famous, scholarly scientist used 

 books. By that clarion cry he means 

 that nature should be first. Many books 

 and some nature magazines seem to 

 say, "Read me, then see if you can find 

 what I am describing." But the exact 

 converse is true of this magazine and 

 of The AA We say, "Study nature. 

 Study her and interchange your obser- 

 vations with other observers. Give to 

 others as you expect them to give to 

 you." The Guide to Nature is pub- 

 lished not to make money, but to help 

 the student. It will be continued even 

 if it should cost more than we receive ; 

 but the more we receive the more use- 

 ful we can make the magazine. 



Frequently our well-intentioned 

 friends think they are complimenting 

 the work when they speak of "that in- 

 teresting magazine. How I do love to 

 read it." The compliment is pleasing 

 as far as it goes and encoviraging, but 

 it does not attain to our highest ideal, 

 we should like to hear an appreciator 

 sav, "I read that in vour magazine and 



I was encouraged to continue my stud- 

 ies." 



Please note the emblematic heading 

 of The Guide to Nature. You will 

 observe three sisters : a naturalist with 

 a net ; an artist, that also represents the 

 camerist, and a guide leading toward 

 the beauties and the treasures of na- 

 ture's realms. According to some of 

 our readers, the guide is wrong in 

 beckoning to the others. She should 

 be handing them The Guide to Na- 

 ture saying, "See what I have discov- 

 ered. Sit still by your fireplace and 

 enjoy it." 



No, my dear naturalist friend, we 

 are not trying to exempt you from the 

 personal stvidy of nature. We have 

 failed, we have missed our calling, if 

 our efforts end with you in an easy 

 chair reading The Guide to Nature 

 and saying, "How interesting this is." 

 We accomplish a part of our mission 

 when you read only for a short time, 

 then put on your overcoat and start 

 for the out of doors, whether it be to see 

 the stars or the leafless trees, or the ice 

 crystals. Too many of our friends miss 

 this essential point. They praise The 

 Guide to Nature and compare it with 

 the strictly literary magazines. Al- 

 though we appreciate that kindness, it 

 is not what we are seeking. On any 

 news stand or in any bookstore you will 

 find books and periodicals in profusion. 

 There are too many. The majority of 

 these are the slang of the book trade 

 known as "slush." The display is ap- 

 palling. But there are not enough read- 

 ers in nature's great out of doors, in 

 the laboratories or at the examining 

 table. Too few are investigating na- 

 ture's details. W'^e do not wish to save 

 you from effort in going to nature but 

 to urge that effort. Thousands can 

 read, while few can observe. The pre- 

 eminent value of the institution that 

 we are creating is to supply this great 

 need and to train careful observers who 

 will generously stimulate and teach 

 others to be observers. 



Let us be specific, and classify the 

 situation. Take our Christmas num- 

 ber. An article about Mr. McDermant, 

 the proprietor of a restaurant who 

 spends his leisure time among his 

 plants. The intention of that article 

 is not to classify Mr. McDermant 

 among those that seek recreation along 



