20 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [i, i, jan. 1905 



NATURE-STUDY AND ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 

 IN CANADA 



[Editorial Note. — The following account of the new and very inter- 

 esting movement in Canada has been based upon printed matter and other 

 information supplied by Dean Muldrew of Macdonald Institute.] 



Beginning with the present school-year the nature-study move- 

 ment in the rural schools of Canada will surely make great prog- 

 ress, because the Macdonald Institute for teachers and the model 

 rural schools will have their organizations complete and most of 

 the buildings ready for work. Readers of Canadian periodicals of 

 1902 will remember that in that year Sir William C. Macdonald, 

 of Montreal, authorized Professor James W. Robertson, Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture for the Dominion of Canada, to lay 

 before the Premier of the Province of Ontario an offer of assist- 

 ance to carry out a plan, submitted at the same time, for the im- 

 provement of education at rural schools ; and for the establishment 

 of courses of instruction and training in domestic economy or 

 domestic science, at the Ontario Agricultural College. This plan 

 included assistance towards : ( i ) The establishment of a model 

 consolidated rural school in Ontario and one in each of four other 

 Provinces of the Dominion. (2) Providing travelling instruc- 

 tors in nature-study for groups of rural schools in Ontario and 

 other Provinces. (3) Providing courses of study and training 

 in nature-study for teachers in rural schools. (4) Providing 

 courses of instruction and training in domestic science for young 

 women from country homes, and others. 



In order to give effect to parts 3 and 4 of the above plan, the 

 sum of $175,000 was offered to the Province of Ontario, on cer- 

 tain conditions, in January, 1902, and was accepted by Order-in- 

 Coimcil of the Provincial Government in March of the same year. 

 As a result of this magnificent gift there have been erected, as a 

 department of the Ontario Agricultural College, at Guelph, the 

 Macdonald Hall, a residence for women students, and the Mac- 

 donald Institute, for the instruction of farmers' daughters and 

 others in domestic science and domestic art, and for equipping 

 teachers in nature-study, manual training, and home economics. 

 By a liberal interpretation of the original agreement, the Province 

 of Ontario undertakes the maintenance of these buildings, in per- 

 petuity, and provides instruction in the courses suggested above, 



