4 NATURE STUDY REl'IEW [8:1— Jan., 1912 



a goal. Elementary agriculture, on the other hand, has been too 

 bookish. It has lacked the nature touch. The two subjects, I 

 believe, are interdependent. Nature is best studied in connection 

 with some problem in which the child is interested. The potato 

 beetle is best studied in a potato patch but best of all in my 

 potato patch." 



In this connection the following excerpt from a letter to the 

 President from L. H. Bailey (N. Y.) will be of interest: 

 'T feel that the agricultural phase of nature-study should be 

 more emphasized, not because of agriculture but because the 

 nature-study idea is fundamental to educational processes and 

 the development of rural education is to be one of the great 

 problems of the immediate future. 



'T should feel that the Nature-Study Society should be dis- 

 tinct and should have its own separate work and existence. 1 

 should dislike to see it amalgamated with other organizations, 

 even though its membership were never large. I think that the 

 nature-study idea should be prominently maintained. However, 

 if some sort of an informal association could be had with the 

 school-garden people, and with others, it ought to strengthen 

 all sides of the work. Possibly the two organizations could 

 meet, following each other, in the same place. 



'T have never cared for very large numbers in the member- 

 ship of the American Nature-Study Society. I am interested 

 in seeing the work grow and in letting the membership grow 

 gradually as the idea takes hold. I think that more will be ac- 

 complished in the end by having a rather definite membership 

 that represents real workers than to have a very large member- 

 ship that represents those who are only casually interested in the 

 subject. Of course, I should try to include as many teachers as 

 possible : but I think that the basis of membership should be the 

 fact that such teachers are really workers in nature-study 

 lines.'' 



The following extract is from a similar letter from J. Dear- 

 ness (Ont.) : 



"I am one of those who think that not much agriculture 

 that is 'worth while' can be taught in the public school grades 

 that cannot be taught by the nature-study method and that the 

 nature-study work in rural and all other schools should be con- 

 ditioned on environment and the more or less familiar exper- 

 iences of the pupils. It follows that in an agricultural community 

 much or nearly all of the nature-study work would be agricul- 

 tural or be of interest to agriculturists, (iardens at schools and 



