190 Third Conference 



no more of the false story of the love between the 

 honeysuckle and the bee: yet we may note, as con- 

 veying quite a high moral, such things in general 

 terms as the perceptive power of the climbing bind- 

 weed, holding its own way against a stranger, but 

 yielding to a fellow-binder with whom he may meet; 

 or watch with interest the digestive power of the 

 sundew. Yet again, avoid the theory of alternate 

 generation and the two hosts, yet note with the 

 farmer " no fluke without a slug (snail), no gid 

 without a dog"; avoid going into cross-fertilization 

 question with the thrum and the pin-eyed primrose, 

 yet note the variation. All broad and accurate in- 

 vestigation; in simple form, yet true as far as it 

 goes, so that it may lead up to higher study later 

 on: for everything in connection with Nature-study 

 comes in handy in rural pursuits some time. Next, 

 we want this conference to urge that those in charge 

 of our schools shall be true educationists and guides; 

 not men pitchforked into the profession just because 

 they have passed an examination. These men don't 

 help us to make Nature-study what we want. The 

 government has undertaken to educate, that is, to find 

 out what power an individual has, and develop that. 

 How different is promise and performance — perform- 

 ance that seems to endeavour to turn out all on some 

 dead level. Our duty to the people whom we compel 

 to be under our regime is to watch the powers of 

 their children coming into action, aid and direct and 

 induce them to rely on their own effort, and not on 

 " the support of another mind ". Then may we hope 

 to see the young in possession of that inestimable 

 gift, the power to acquire knowledge. I believe the 



