90 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1899. 



the truth concerning the rights and privileges of the life about 

 him and his relations to it. Ordinarily, the child, in the lirst 

 grades of public schools, is taught of animals by the use of 

 pictures, and while pictures are much better than nothing, they 

 are entirely inadequate. 



It is possible for a little child to love the horse, cow, sheep, 

 dog, or other animal in the picture, and to be entirely unac- 

 quainted with the living creature. Besides, while we are doing 

 our best to teach the wonders of fros: life, from the egor to the 

 wonderful changes to froghood, Billy Jones has taught the boys 

 always to approach the frog pond with stone in hand, to watch 

 patiently for them and to aim well ; in short, they have become 

 persuaded that the frog has no other purpose in living than to 

 furnish sport for the boys. Now B. Jones has a great advantage 

 over the teacher, who has the pictures simply, for he presents 

 the real object, rouses the keenest interest and enthusiasm, and 

 thereby makes an indelible impression. Now, we want to take 

 the little fellow while B. Jones scorns him, while his legs are 

 too short to keep up with the fellows and his hand too little and 

 weak to throw a stone with any chance of hitting anything that 

 he aims at; we want to take him to the park to become 

 acquainted with mamma frog and all the taddies, watch all the 

 wonderful changes, and deneloj) that interest that he will imme- 

 diately feel in them. 



You will readily see that domestic animals — the cow, horse, 

 sheep, goat — could easily be made to feel at home in the park 

 for a few days at a time, and the children would have oppor- 

 tunity to become acquainted with them. Foxes, raccoons, 

 scjuirrels, mice, rabbits, etc., could also be accommodated in 

 cages till the children could see and know them. Our birds, 

 too, I am sure, would iind their way to such a spot if only they 

 could, in some way, be protected from the belligerent English 

 sparrow. I know that the fairy tales illustrating kindness 

 toward animals would be appi-eciated and enjoyed by children 

 of this age, and they would be very helpful, too Plain, hard 

 facts do not appeal to these little ones so strongly as facts 

 clothed in imagery, be it ever so sitnple. To speak of a pansy, 



