Mr. Morrell's Address 189 



dicate of certain plants or animals on particular soils 

 that these will flourish or die down ; or maybe your 

 pursuits lead you to note local history, and you come 

 to revel in details of geography, as often disclosing the 

 moulds of history. Yes, given an early power and in- 

 terest in observation, things that seem trivial to those 

 not so trained are full of interest, and draw forth fresh 

 powers of mind. The overturning of the soil, the shape 

 of the share, and the trimming of the whipple-trees 

 for horses unequally put together, set many a thought 

 going on soil and plough and horse and harness: and 

 we even come to see, with other eyes, the forces of 

 Nature in our very sports and games. All this is pro- 

 vocative of interest. Why, then, should we not train 

 the mind by methods that shall create interest and be 

 in touch with realities, rather than, as is often the 

 case, attempt to train on abstractions alone, difficult 

 of apprehension and comprehension? On my second 

 point I know I touch on dangerous ground, but 

 would ask assent to this proposition, viz., it is pre- 

 ferable to train on matter that shall be of value 

 in life's work, provided adequate training can be 

 secured by its use; yet I would avoid too early 

 specialization. We must prevent the school-master 

 running riot with science in a primary school. What 

 more distressing to the advocates of Nature-study 

 than to see, say, a school - teacher, the would-be 

 botanist, dissecting and classifying, and clouding in 

 polysyllables, that which in primary schools should 

 be introduced in a broad, general manner with a 

 view to induce accurate observation: not too deep, 

 yet not scrappy, but all true. We must put an end 

 to misinterpretation, however popular; for instance, 



