i86 The Nature-Study Idea 



other words, I should not choose them merely 

 because they are "useless" or "useful to man." 

 I should want the child to have a wider horizon 

 and a truer view of nature. The prime requisite 

 is that the child become interested in the being 

 itself, whether that being chance to be "in- 

 jurious" or "beneficial." We must be careful 

 not to dwarf the sympathies by purposely con- 

 fining our work to those things that have "use." 

 It is an error to assume that all the things in the 

 world are important only as they relate to the 

 financial profit and the pleasure of man. 



On the other hand, I should not neglect the 

 "practical" things just because they are prac- 

 tical and familiar. A horse, cow, pig, chicken, 

 potatoes, wheat, cotton, alfalfa, and the rest, 

 are excellent nature-study material, not only 

 because they are intrinsically as interesting as 

 other plants and animals, but also because they 

 are common and therefore near to our lives. 

 Familiarity should not breed contempt. 



What one shall teach is determined very 

 largely, of course, by the text-books in use in 

 the school. The commonest fault that my 



