94 STATIC POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



their lives, but without study or even a first introduction, will 

 never love them. The commonest flower by the roadside is of 

 interest when you know its name, family and habits. 



A little toddling child will pick violets and buttercups by the 

 roadside, pleased with their color and fragrance, but as he grows 

 older this is not enough to hold his interest. The flowers soon 

 become common weeds to him, unless he studies deeper. As I 

 said before, introduce them ; tell their names, families and pecul- 

 iarities. Make them personal friends, visit them in their homes 

 and invite them to yours. What a child learns under seven 

 years of age, goes far to form his taste and inclination for a 

 life occupation. 



Of course we do not wish to make farmers of all of our boys. 

 I believe in watching for a child's natural abilities in every direc- 

 tion, but Nature Study is a grand help in every path of life, and 

 a person surely can never make a success of agriculture without 

 Nature Study. Teach children to use their eyes and brains and 

 seek for little peculiarities. Unless a child can see and think for 

 himself, he will never remember much that is told him, but if the 

 parent will tell him enough to create an interest, then ,he will 

 watch and study alone. 



But many parents may say — "How can I teach what I have 

 never been taught, or taken an interest in myself?" Begin as a 

 child, with the children. We parents are too old ! We must 

 renew our youth. We are too busy ! We must take time to 

 play. We stay indoors too much ! Let us go down to the 

 brook. Life is short ! Let us get the best good out of it. 

 "Except ye become as a little child ye shall in no wise enter the 

 kingdom of heaven." Many ministers have given us many 

 explanations of that text. I have found it to be a most delightful 

 heaven to get to the brooks and woods with the children and be 

 a child with them, close to nature's heart, for nature's heart is 

 God's heart. 



It is rather slow work to study in a haphazard way, without 

 any particular aim or method, and much valuable time is lost. 

 Even though there are many excellent books at a low price, upon 

 such subjects, few parents know what is best to purchase, even if 

 they have a desire and money with which to buy. They cannot 

 leave their homes, work and families to attend an agricultural 



