THE STUDY OF HOKl'ICULTURE IN PUBLIC S(M1()()LS. 137 



introduce such a course into agricultural colleges and also into 

 other higber institutions of learning. Indeed, be approved the 

 idea of Mr. Clapp, that this Society should appropriate money 

 to begin such training among the school children. He once 

 offered to pay the Boston boys to make collections of bugs and 

 plants to learn about them, and soon found that a little girl of four 

 years had developed an interest iu the pursuit, and followed the 

 example of her elders. He asked why can we uot teach the 

 children of this country to know the common things around them 

 before we try to teach them abstract principles. 



In reply to Mr. Bowker, Mr. Clapp said there was no need of 

 taking out any studies in the present course of instruction in 

 Boston for the purpose of teaching horticulture, because tlu' 

 School Board had directed that two hours each week should be 

 given to the study of natural history in the three lower grades of 

 the grammar schools. The time had uot been spent as directed, 

 but had been given to those studies which seemed more likely to 

 result in dollars and cents. 



Mr. Chase said that examination papers contain uo reference to 

 these studies. Our system of education pushes the attention 

 of children to the outward and downward, toward the getting of 

 money. Our boys are brought up to worship the "almighty 

 dollar." We must educate the people better, giving more atten- 

 tion to observation of the beautiful and sublime, as well as the 

 useful in the world of Nature. He remembered that when 

 making the passage over Lake Champlain, there were a man and 

 his wife iu the party. The gentleman took a good position for 

 observations of the fine scenery and any other attractions which 

 were visible, while the lady established herself in a comfortable 

 seat, and devoted her attention exclusively to a ten-cent Beadle 

 novel. She was fashionably dressed, and had the air of one 

 whose husband was a successful money catcher, but so far as 

 any pleasure or other benefit which the trip afforded her was con- 

 cerned, she might as well have been at home or in an attic parlor 

 of a sixteen-story hotel in the city, with the book in which her 

 mind was wholly absorbed. We are, as a people, getting developed 

 in body and mind by pursuing low roads. Most of our people 

 seem to prefer to amass money enough to spoil their children, 

 instead of so educating and training them as to fit them to make 

 an independent living for themselves. As a consequence, the 



