292 NATURE STUDY. 



come more important in the upper grades. So also the 

 economic aspects of plants and animals should be em- 

 phasized. In agricultural communities it may be wise 

 to give considerable attention to soils and to agricul- 

 ture as a basis for a broader study of related topics in 

 geography. In manufacturing communities much at- 

 tention can be given to such topics as silkworms and 

 the manufacture of silk, or to cotton or flax and the 

 manufacture of cotton and linen. 



While nature study in the upper grades can thus be 

 made helpful in geography, it must be much more than 

 a mere preparation and foundation and ally for geog- 

 raphy. Geography is pre-eminently practical in its 

 aims. Nature study should be practical, and should be 

 much more. In our attempt to correlate the two stud- 

 ies we must not overlook the higher aims of nature 

 study. 



The relation between nature study and arithmetic is 

 not nearly so intimate as that between nature study and 

 the other work of the elementary school, and it does 

 not seem wise to attempt to correlate them closely. 



Arithmetic has to do with the magnitude and number 

 of things; the space or size relations and the number 

 relations. In the study of plants and animals these 

 are of relatively little importance as compared with 

 the functional relations and form relations. The exact 

 size of a tree or other plant, or the number of its 

 branches, leaves, or flowers, is of little importance in 

 investigating its life or structure. Much more essen- 



