BURNELL STALKING THE COW 343 



An Italian fifth grade youngster became the leading figure of 

 the school when he conducted classes to his back lot to see his 

 billy-goat and nanny-goat. No, he had never seen them chew 

 their cuds. So we asked for his m,other and she assured the child- 

 ren that they chewed their cuds "just like chewing gum". The 

 foreign neighbors gathered around in curiosity to see why teachers 

 were coming to see the goats so we conducted an Extension Course 

 in Nature Study — ^mentioned the fact that the goat is a near relative 

 of the cow about which we were studying, and asked the children to 

 explain the difference between its arms and legs. They demon- 

 strated with their own joints saying that goats were like ourselves 

 "the heel bends backwards and the knee bends forwards." 

 It gave an excellent opportunity not only for observing but for 

 that best of educational processes of at once sharing with others 

 who are interested listeners a new bit of infonnation. 



Visits have been made to goat dairies and the children encour- 

 aged to find out everything that they could about the relative 

 merits of cow's milk and goat's milk, of the relative cost of feed 

 and of the care of the animals. "How do they compare in intel- 

 ligence with the cows," we asked, and the children who owned 

 goats were quick to speak up for their own pets. 



Some 165 principals have been stimulated to find out not only 

 the present environment of their children but also their back- 

 ground. How m.any of them are the product of an apartmxnt 

 house and how many have ever been in the country? Ask a room 

 full of children how many of them, have ever seen a cow chew its 

 cud. One hundred thousand children have had their experience 

 widened by a month's nature study of the cow. Three thousand 

 teachers have to a greater or less degree taken advantage of the 

 opportunities to enlarge the horizon of their children beyond the 

 school room walls. 



Vital questions of the community life have been discussed — 

 where is the feed for the cattle raised and how much of the year 

 can the dairymen depend upon pasturage' for their cows ; what is 

 done with the surplus milk; where is the butter of the city 

 made? The children have returned from excursions with samples 

 of cotton-seed, of silage and of beet pulp tied up in their handker- 

 chiefs. They have discussed the use of fertilizers and the service 

 of cattle in connection with rotation of crops. 



