GEOGRAPHY 249 



price here. The child is led to see that there are reasons for 

 cities being located in certain places, and for their growth. 

 In discussing the Erie Canal, the conversation is turned upon 

 the fact that Stockton owes its location and growth to its 

 waterways. 



Agricultural conditions in the Southern states are dis- 

 cussed, and two of their staples, cotton and tobacco, are 

 grown in window gardens and yards. The Central states 

 are taken up in the same way. Great cities, as Boston, New 

 York, Chicago, New Orleans, are studied and imaginary 

 visits are made to them. A week may be taken looking up 

 information, about any one of the above named cities by some 

 individual pupil or by the whole class. Then a letter is 

 written, purporting to be from the city studied, describing 

 conditions, and perhaps bringing in notable buildings and 

 other objects of interest. It is often an incentive for the 

 class if the teacher writes the first letter ; interest is awakened 

 and a model is given to the pupils. Such a letter may be 

 read without giving the name of the place, the class deciding 

 what section is described. In the Western States three ideas 

 stand out prominently, the mountains and their mineral 

 wealth, the Great Basin, and the fruitful regions on the 

 Pacific slope. There are so many points of comparison, so 

 many interesting features of knowledge in all this work that 

 the pupils rarely tire of it. It can be so conducted that it is 

 almost a record of travel to them. It should be. Geography 

 is wonderfully interesting, but many people have to travel 

 before they find it out; the children should learn it in the 

 schoolroom. 



The work on South America is brief and should not be 

 intensive. Aside from Brazil, which receives individual 



