70 THE NATURE-STUDY IDEA 



with the rural schools themselves. It must begin 

 in educational centers and gradually spread to the 

 country districts. We are making constant efforts 

 to reach the rural schools themselves, and expect 

 to exhaust every means within our power, but it 

 is work that is attended with many inherent 

 difficulties. We sometimes feel that the agri- 

 cultural status can best be reached through the 

 hamlet, village and some of the city schools rather 

 than by means of the red schoolhouse on the 

 corner. By appealing to the school commissioners 

 in the rural districts, by work through teachers* 

 institutes, through farmers' clubs, granges and 

 other means we believe that we are reaching 

 farther and farther into the very agricultural 

 regions. It is difficult to get consideration for 

 purely agricultural subjects in the rural schools 

 themselves. Often the school does not have 

 facilities for teaching such subjects, the teachers 

 often are employed only for a few months, and 

 there is frequently a sentiment against innovation. 

 It has been said that one reason why agricultural 

 subjects are taught less in the rural schools of 

 America than in those of some parts of Europe 

 is because of the few male teachers and the 

 absence of school-gardens. 



" This Cornell nature-study movement is one 

 small part of a general awakening in educational 

 circles looking toward bringing the child into 

 actual contact and sympathy with the objects with 

 which he has to do. This work is taking on 

 many phases. One aspect of it is its relation to 



