O UR DEPENDENCE ON NA TURE. 2 1 



a verified, clear, sound and great thought, set their aim 

 only so high as appears to be attainable in a human 

 way. 



The reason why hitherto few endeavors have been 

 made to impart to the people, and especially to the in- 

 habitants of country regions, the magnificent acquisi- 

 tions of natural science, are, first, that the importance 

 of such knowledge to the people has not been suffi- 

 ciently recognized ; secondly, that the teaching material 

 for this instruction has not been properly prepared ; 

 thirdly, that the means for personal observation have 

 been wanting. 



OUR DEPENDENCE ON NATURE. 



But the recognition is making its way that the knowl- 

 edge of the powers of nature, of its manifestations and 

 its elements, is in a high degree desirable for the so- 

 called common man, since, upon the right use of the 

 elements of nature depends the welfare of the whole 

 people. Much has been done also to popularize natural 

 history in the last decade. Bock's excellent popular 

 work, " Structure, Life and Care of the Human Body, " 

 covers the ground of the school wherever the German 

 language is taught ; and German acuteness and the 

 German faculty of teaching have already produced many 

 valuable means of instruction, but, 



" The forward glance to tasks as yet unwon, 

 Obscures from view the little man has done." 



Yet the importance of instruction in natural history, so 

 far as it shall benefit the man of the country regions, is 

 viewed, at first, only from the standpoint of its utility, 

 and thus far, very one-sidedly. One-sidedly, in so far 

 as this knowledge is declared to be merely useful, not 



