iff; STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



direcllv by teaching laws and principles, and indirectly by trainins; 

 the perception and reasoning faculties for better service in the 3'ears 

 of later life. A bill is now before the Legislature, I believe, which, 

 if it becoin^'S a la.v. will r^q tire public S3li:)ols to give instruction in 

 agricultural eheuiistry. So far, so good. 



And now, since a happy life is niade up of many things beside 

 financial success, let us pass on to another phase of the subject and 

 see how a knowledge of the natural sciences can aid in making farm 

 life more agreeable in an sestlietic point of view. 



There are people who love study for its inherent pleasures, and, 

 if there were no pecuniar}^ or social advantage likel\' to result, would 

 still give more or less time to its pursuit. Jo^'s which come in this 

 line are of a high order, and will do much to make the possessor 

 content in anv place where his l<jt may be cast. While farm life has 

 some obstacles in the way of such enjoyments, it still lias much to 

 aid and as.si.st. Heie we aie brought near to nature, and, if heart 

 be in harmony with her Maker and mind be trained to discern her 

 marvelous beauties, we shall lind an unfailing source of delight in 

 the multitude of wonders on every hand Rocks and trees, forest 

 and garden, the earth beneath, the sky above, furnish an inexhaust- 

 ible and ever fascinating Held for study and recreation. But, as be- 

 foie, the question may be asked, how is this training to be obtained 

 if we have not been so fortunate as to receive it in our younger days? 

 Granted again that there aie some difficulties, yet the}' are not in- 

 superable. ]n the first place I l)eg the mothers to be governed by a 

 litile common sense. There seems to be no excuse in this late day 

 for a woman to go into hysterics at the sight of a moui^e, or turn a 

 whole congregation into a panic stricken mob at the presence of a 

 harmless June bug A slight knowledge of natural histoiy will teach 

 her better, and this she can acquire with as little time and expense as 

 it takes to read some novels, adding thereto just a moderate mental 

 effort. Then such objects of aversion and terror will become mat- 

 ters of deep interest. It would be to her like the vision of beasts 

 to Peter, teaching her that notiiing the Lord has made is common or 

 unclean. But the mischief of her ignorance and foil}' does not, un- 

 happily, end with her own discomfiture. The children of the family 

 catch the feeling and repeat over and over the same ridiculous ex- 

 periences. Sometimes, alas, this feeling of aversion for living creat- 

 ures is not taught indirectly but directly also, thus filling little 

 breasts naturally loving and tender with contempt and hatred for 

 things made like them of flesh and blood. 



