THE 



NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



DEVOTED PRIMARILY TO ALL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF NATURE IN 



ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



Published monthly expect June. July and August. Subscription price, including mem • 

 bership in the American Nature Study Society $1.50 per year (nine issues). Canadian post< 

 age ID cents extra, foreign postage, 20 cents extra. 



Editorial 



Trees and Folks 



"A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed 

 Against the Earth's sweet flowing breast, 

 A tree that looks at God all day 

 And lifts her leafy arms to pray." 



Thus sang Joyce Kilmer in his most famous poem, and voiced 

 the first task of the Nature-study teacher, which is to make the 

 child know and feel that a tree is a living being in many ways 

 like to himself. The poets often have the true nature-study 

 point of view, especially so in dealing with trees ; they have realized 

 and expressed not only the relationship of trees and themselves to 

 life but have sung touchingly of the human sense of brotherhood 

 with trees and of tree personality of which the true nature lover is 

 always conscious. Lowell says: 



I care not how men trace their ancestry 



To ape or Adam; let them please their whim; 



But I in June am midway to believe 



A tree among my far progenitors, 



Such sympathy is mine with all the race, 



Such nutual recognition vaguely sweet 



There is between us. 



Bryant expresses the sentiment thus : 



"Trees of the forest, and the open field! 

 Have ye no sense of being? 3oes the air 

 The pure air, which I breathe with gladness, pass 

 In gushes o'er your delicate lungs, your leaves, 

 All unenjoyed? Wnen on your winter's sleep 

 The sun shines warm, have ye no dreams of spring? 

 * * * * 



Nay, doubt we not that under the rough rind, 

 In the green veins of these fair growths of earth, 

 There dwells a nature that receives delight 

 From all the gentle processes of life. 

 And shrinks from loss of being. Dim and faint 

 May be the sense of pleasure and of pain, 

 As m our dreams; but, haply, real still." 



319 



