64 



Scientific Investigation 



The study of diseases of forest trees, the field of research in 

 which I am particularly interested, has not progressed rapidly 

 because curatorial duties of an educational or editorial nature 

 have made increasingly heavy demands on my time. Some 

 advance has been made, however, in the study of the chestnut 

 bark disease, as outlined in the Report on Investigations (p. 42). 



Respectfully submitted, 



Arthur Harmount Graves, 

 Curator of Public Instruction. 



REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF ELEMENTARY L\- 



STRUCTION FOR 1924 



Dr. C. Stuart Gager, Director. 



Sir: I hereby present to you the twelfth annual report Irom 

 the Department of Elementary Instruction. 



Educational Work 



a. Visiting Classes. — Two experiments have been tried out 

 during the fall of 1924 with \'isiting classes. The first had to 

 do with the problem of the large school-group. Heretofore it 

 has been our policy to encourage schools in sending small groups 

 of children to the Botanic Garden in order that the work may 

 be of a personal and lasting quality. For some time we have 

 faced the fact that we must somewhat change this policy to 

 meet the request of the schools to send larger groups. To meet 

 this demand we have tried outdoor instruction by means of the 

 megaphone. This solution of the problem was made by Miss 

 Mabel Turner who came to us after the resignation in September 

 of Mrs. Weber (formerly Miss Edith Sanders). Miss Turner has 

 found it possible in this way to conduct a class of 300 children and 

 put over the educational work, whether it be in the nature of a 

 general inspection "walk and talk" about the Garden, or a 

 special lesson such as "The Study of Trees and Their Fall 

 Aspects." This method proved to be a very satisfactory one 

 both to us and to the teachers and children. It practically 

 solves the problem above stated. 



