STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 121 



NATURE STUDY. 

 By Mrs. V. P. DeCoster, Buckfield, Me. 



Within a very few years nature study has come to the front 

 in many of our pubHc schools, as a most important study, and 

 yet the parents who have never had the advantage of such 

 studies have only a general idea that it is to teach the children 

 the names of a few flowers, insects and birds. 



In reality, the study is so broad, that it defies definition and 

 only a small number of its benefits can be mentioned. The best 

 definition I have ever read is by Prof. Hodge. "Nature study 

 is learning those things in nature that are best worth knowing, 

 to the end of doing those things that make life most worth the 

 living." 



It is impossible to realize the truth and meaning of that until 

 one has studied for herself. During the past century, education 

 has been limited too much to books. The best educators now 

 realize that the most good is derived from facts found out by 

 children in practical ways and from personal observation. 



Too many children have been through school with the idea of 

 the little girl who recently brought home a pumpkin seed, and 

 told her mother that the teacher said that although the seed was 

 white, the pumpkin would be yellow. 



"And what will the color of the vines be?" asked the mother. 



The little girl replied that the teacher had not taught her that. 



"But." said her mother, "you know, dear, for we have 

 pumpkin vines in our garden." 



"Of course I do, but we ain't expected to know anything until 

 we are taught." 



Nature study teaches the child to see and investigate for 

 himself, and to draw his own conclusions. 



\\'e sometimes call a child dull because he cannot easily learn 

 arithmetic or spelling or some studies made by man, and yet 

 the child when put out of doors with the remainder of his class 

 and set to solve some problem of nature will be found to have 

 the keenest observation and the most talent to put it to practical 

 use. \A'hat are our great inventors except people who have 

 watched and studied and utilized the forces of nature. 



