204 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Does it not seem the irony of fate that this work should begin 

 with the children of brick walls and noisy streets instead of with the 

 children of the country, whose lives are ever in touch with nature? 

 Excellent as the work is that is being done in the public schools, 

 yet it cannot be ideal. Nature study is not adapted to the school- 

 room. It is a study to be conducted in the field, the forest, by the 

 brook or wherever the object of the study exists. If the object is 

 removed to the school-room in the form of specimens, it is then not 

 seen in its proper relations. The country school has the advantage 

 over the .city school, as here the teacher may accompany her pupils 

 afield. However, the farm seems to be the ideal place for this ivork. 

 Here the child is continually in contact with nature and can observe 

 her under various conditions. Then, if the parents but become the 

 teacher, nature study may attain to its highest perfection. 



Somehow the country seems to be the ideal setting for a child's 

 life. Here are freedom, peace and quiet. Here the child is sur- 

 rounded by living, growing things in which its soul delights. Such 

 an environment tells for a healthy physical, mental and moral devel- 

 opment. But there is needed a wise hand to lead the child into a full 

 enjoyment of these blessings. 



We became thoroughly enthused with the nature study idea, 

 and as our life was cast upon a farm with four little ones we deter- 

 mined to do what we could to have the farm yield its fullest measure 

 of blessing to the children. We were utterly unqualified to under- 

 take such a work, as our education in nature had been from books 

 in the school-room, and we knew little of the living objects. But the 

 advice of Prof. Bailey gave a teacher encouraged us to start. This 

 teacher had been considering the subject of nature study work for 

 two years but had not attempted to teach it, as he felt unqualified 

 to do so. Prof. Bailey said, "Begin ! Head end, tail end, in the mid- 

 dle, anywhere — but begin !" 



Spring inspired us to make the beginning. We took our children 

 and went out doors, depending upon nature herself to suggest the 

 method of procedure. The birds were just returning from the south 

 and were to be seen before the trees put forth their leaves or the 

 plants and insects appeared. We knew but few birds by sight, and 

 at first we were bewildered by the numbers seen and the variety of 

 bird song heard, but we learned to center our attention upon some 

 particular one until we became acquainted with its most characteris- 

 tic traits. We had Miss Blanchard's "Bird Neighbors," and that 

 helped us to identify the birds, as the name seemed as necessary 

 to the introduction of a bird as to that of a person. We listened to 



