STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 105 



his thinking he is developing his intellect and educating himself 

 along the line of his occupation. 



But the mind is worth too much to leave to the chance incidents 

 of an occupation, especially in these days of minute division of 

 labor where the man is only a pair of hands. But in our interest 

 for the child are we not prone to forget that he is a child? We 

 know that he was born ignorant. Do we forget that he has made 

 the beginnings of all knowledge, even before he goes to school? Do 

 we not expect our little David to slay his Goliaths in the armor of 

 Saul ? Why not give him his pebbles and sling ? 



Nature is the first source of all knowledge, even of that recorded 

 in books. He is the child of nature and blood kin to his pets, 

 plants and even to his mud pies, to feed a machine that does the 

 thinking. And education is so important that youth can not be 

 spent so profitably as in making a business of learning just as his 

 body makes a business of growing ; for no matter how fruitful the 

 opportunities for mind culture in one's work, they will pass unnoticed 

 or if noticed unappropriated if the worker does not know how to 

 learn. And through knowing more of them he has come to know 

 more of himself. Highlands, lowlands, air, water life and the 

 artificial boundaries and industries of his neighbors, and their 

 relations to each other typify the world. And through knowing these 

 the world is his for the learning. 



We were born to our environment ignorant. We were born with 

 a capacity for knowing and enjoying all these things, but we are 

 caged in a prison of bone, and walled in except at the gateway of 

 the senses, through which must come the elements of all our knowl- 

 edge and the same material of all our thoughts — brought to us by 

 messengers of light and touch and sound. 



Look out of the window ! You see a landscape of hills, valleys 

 and plains threaded by winding streams, and extending to the line 

 of earth and sky. You see the wooded land and clearings, silent 

 now and dreary but June will see them teeming with animal life 

 and gay with flowers. 



This is man's environment. All our lives long we are surrounded 

 by the things out there. We are dependent upon them for all that 

 we do and for all that we are, and all our lives long they are 

 appealing to us through the senses. 



Are they there simply to fatten our bodies that we may be better 

 food for worms ? 



What IS a man? 



