Report of the Executive Committee 65 



"2. The specimens have mostly been brought by the pupils, and are 

 made use of in the object-lessons, composition, and drawing from 

 nature with black-lead or chalk. 



"3. The majority of the scholars will be connected with the farm, 

 dairy, garden (villa, nursery, or vegetable), and stable (as coachmen, 

 smiths, &c. ), and everything is done mainly to help the future prac- 

 tical study of agriculture, nursery-gardening, horticulture, and bee- 

 keeping. 



" 4. The map and model (cardboard) of school district (South Down 

 chalk) show the places of interest. No school journeys or brush- 

 drawing have as yet been introduced." 



General Remarks. No heading which has been dis- 

 cussed afforded an opportunity of mentioning schools where 

 (as at Clifton Hampden) class lessons are conducted in the 

 garden. Again, some descriptions of the work done in 

 Nature-study could not be conveniently quoted under any 

 single title, and are therefore here given. For instance, at 

 Frensham School, Farnham 



"The main object in teaching Nature-study is to train the child 's 

 observation. For example, with wild flowers, the child is encouraged to 

 observe the plant ; its height, whether tall, short, slim, or bushy; how 

 it grows, whether clinging, creeping, or standing erect; kind of soil it 

 grows in ; position of place where growing, whether sheltered, exposed, 

 damp, dry, clay or sand ; time of year when found. All these things 

 the child can discover for itself; assistance is only given as regards the 

 name. Even the family it has to try and think out for itself. I consider 

 this a good plan for making the child's observation keener. 



"With regard to insect collections sent by me, I am anxious to give 

 my children a knowledge of destructive insects and harmless ones, 

 therefore I am collecting these from time to time in order to show the 

 children, that they may discern between them. Besides, in insect life 

 there is such a grand opportunity of showing the wonders of nature, 

 and it makes children see that all things are beautiful and wonderful. 

 My scholars, some time back, would never allow a toad to live, or a 

 common sand-lizard either, until I talked to them about them, and 

 kept some toads in a cucumber frame in my garden, and allowed the 

 children to feed them every day. Now I get numerous toads brought 

 to school to examine and talk about. Also the girls will bring a lizard 

 in their hands, without any desire to kill it." 



E 



