EDITORAL 83 



Normal School, Washington, D. C, was elected editor of the 

 garden department of the Nature -Study Review. 



Besides the addresses on the program which are published in this 

 number of the Review, there were informal discussions of several 

 interesting subjects. Among them, the Humane Law enacted by 

 the New York State legislature, and its probable effect upon nature- 

 study ; and the more important matter, the action of the Conserva- 

 tion Department of the Federation of Women's Clubs, in insisting 

 as a war measure looking to future production, that nature-study 

 should have an equal place with other required studies in public 

 schools. This discussion was initiated by a resolution forwarded to 

 the Nature-Study Society by Mrs. John Dickinson Sherman : 



Resolved, That the Federation of Women's Clubs hereby endorse 

 the effort of the Conservation Department of the General Federa- 

 tion of Women's Clubs to have a comprehensive study of the 

 objects of nature in the outdoor world made a formal part of the 

 public school course, to rank with arithmetic, English and history, 

 and for which the pupils will receive full credit. 



As a result of a discussion of this resolution the following resolu- 

 tion was passed to be forwarded to Mrs. Sherman. 



The American Nature-Study Society at its annual meeting at 

 Pittsburgh, Pa., December 27th, 191 7, expressed itself thoroughly 

 in sympathy with the movement suggested in the resolution, passed 

 by the Federation of Women's Clubs; for it has been the object of 

 this Society since its beginning, fourteen years ago, to further "all 

 scientific studies of nature in elementary schools." The Society 

 will therefore willingly cooperate with the Federated Women's 

 Club in any way it can to achieve this end. 



A bill before the United States Senate for promoting improve- 

 ment in rural education, and a bill before the House of Representa- 

 tives, requiring the Commissioner of Education to devise methods 

 and promote plans for the elimination of adult illiteracy were read, 

 and the Society expressed itself as heartily commending these bills 

 and offering cooperation in securing their passage. 



The afternoon session ended with an informal talk by Miss 

 Emma Davis of Pittsburgh upon her methods of conducting nature- 

 study; this talk was full of inspiration and suggestions and Miss 

 Davis has promised to write parts of it for future numbers of the 

 Review. One of the very pleasing events of the meeting was 

 finding Mr. M. J. Walter, who has been quite ill, sufficiently 

 recovered to be present and give us the aid of his advice. 



