218 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [8 :6— Sept., 19i2 



can give them some lessons which will help them to a better un- 

 derstanding of domesticated animals, and put the work on a 

 more interesting basis. Then she may lead the pupils to study 

 carefully the little four-legged tenants of the farm to learn whether 

 they are paying rent or not; and encourage likewise a study of 

 the birds and insects to discover what they are actually domg 

 to help or injure the farmer; and if she leads the pupils to ex- 

 amine their fence corners and roadsides to find what the weed 

 squatters are doing, she will find there an almost unlimited amount 

 of subject-matter, all bearing directly upon the farm ; and at the 

 same time she will be broadening the interests, knowledge, m- 

 telligence and powers of observation of her pupils. 



It is safe to assert that there is not on the farm a plant, tree, 

 bird, animal, or insect that is not -doing something, in its own 

 small way, to that farm. And, if elementary agriculture be thus 

 correlated with nature-study, the lessons may be of quite as 

 fundamental importance and at the same time of never-failing 

 interest. There is no danger that this use of nature-study will 

 narrow the child's ideas, because it covers such a wide range 

 of subjects that it will result in the young farmer becoming a 

 field naturalist as well as a more practical agriculturist. 



Wild Flower Gardening 



Frank C. Pellett. 



As our country grows older, and our resources are developed, 

 there is great danger that many of our finest wild flowers will 

 be exterminated. Wastefulness and abundance go hand in hand. 

 The bison, which was the most abundant of our native quad- 

 rupeds, and the wild pigeon, the most plentiful among birds, were 

 almost totally destroyed before the public even realized that the 

 numbers were being dangerously reduced. In the case of the 

 pigeon, the awakening came too late. 



The development of the country over large areas of the central 

 west is of such a nature, that no natural refuges are being left for 

 the wild flowers, and unless they are given a place in our private 

 gardens and public parks, they are doomed to follow the pigeon 

 into oblivion. For some time past, the writer has been agitating 

 the importance of saving the desirable native species in this man- 

 ner. Mr. Clute, of the American Botanist, goes further, and 

 suggests that the railroads be interested in saving the flowers grow- 

 ing along their rights of way. If they can be made to see the ad- 

 vantage of it. it will be an easy matter to make wild flower re- 



