AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 1093 



Wanted: A philosophy of nature study, C. II. Kobisox (Xafure-^tudij Rec, 

 .} (I'JOS), Xo. 7, t>i>. JiKi, Jdl). — This iuiiinrtant theiue is treated suggestively 

 rather than elaborately. Emphasis is laid upon the belief that the method of 

 approach must depend on the philosophic basis of our theory "on whether we 

 regard the child as a member of a present and a future society or as an iso- 

 lated individual, as a social creature, or solely as an intellectual being." The 

 author considers aims and theory as being still in a chaotic state, needing 

 a master's treatment ; so that while the " what " is rather definitely imder- 

 stood, the "why" leaves much to be desired, and the "how" must be largely 

 conditional on a clearly worked out rationale. He concludes that much of our 

 preseut iirocedure rests on faith rather than on definitely determined psycho- 

 logical results. 



The training of teachers of nature study, .J. W. Siikpiierd et al. (Xature- 

 IStudy Rev., Jf (1908), No. 6, pp. 113-182, 193-196).— The first of these papers 

 points out that a large part of elementary science woa-k has been diluted col- 

 lege work, that much of the laboratory work does not raise a personal problem 

 for the individual student, and that the nature-studj' teacher must come over 

 to the children's standpoint and concern herself with furnishing them rich, 

 vital experiences, rather than developing scientific generalities. To this end 

 the student-teacher should herself have experiences as a student with the same 

 kind of material that the children will use in nature study. 



O. P. Delliuger, in discussing the same general subject, holds that the 

 nature-study training course should dlfi:'ereutiate nature study from what it is 

 not, make clear the aim of nature study as distinct from that of other related 

 subjects, acquaint the student-teacher with the literature of the subject, give 

 a few type outlines of lessons, and stratify the work for the different grades. 



M. A. Bigelow sets forth the belief that nature study should not be limited 

 to any particular phase of the subject, that direct observational study is the 

 essential method, that the study should be made from the standpoint of nature 

 as it touches our daily lives, and that close imitation of the technical science 

 of higher schools is highly undesirable for nature study in the elementary 

 schools. 



C. F. Hodge contributes a pai)er the essence of which appears in the follow- 

 ing quotation : " It would be far better if biology teachers in our normal 

 schools he drawn from graduates of our agricultural colleges, or from the 

 ranks of intelligent gardeners and horticulturists, than from those who have 

 had the present biology course in many colleges and have been given no hint 

 that it is not and can not be 'adapted' to the needs of normal-school students 

 and grade pupils. If the colleges are to train normal-school teachers in biology, 

 it i^! imperative that they supplement their present technical courses by Ji 

 thorough course in biological nature study." 



Nature courses and science courses, W. F. Ganong (Xaiurc-Study Rev., Jf 

 (1908), No. 8, pp. 2 -'i 2-2. 'f 6) .—This is a reply to a criticism offered by C. F. 

 Hodge on the ordinary courses in secondary science work, as noted above. The 

 author defends them on the ground that they are practicable of educational 

 administration, that the information they imi)art is worth far more to the 

 majority of students than that olTered as substitutes under the name of nature 

 study, and that they give an intf'llcctual training far superior. 



Recent aspects of the nature-study movement, E. I)Avr;NroRT (Nature- 

 Study Rev., Jf (1908), No. 0, pp. 26l-2li'i). — The author points out the advantage 

 of agriculture as nature study in the fact that it utilizes the child's jiorsonal 

 desire to produce something, and I bus awakens the three strongest impulses 

 to activity — his observing powers, the possibility of exerting controlling influ- 

 ence over natural processes, and the actual production of objects that had no 



