TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 931 



welfare. Natural history, which is too often looked upon as no more than an 

 agreeable recreation, is really one of the great and permanent interests of mankind. 



The great difficulty is to secure an adequate trainiag for the practical naturalist 

 of the future. It is only thorough knowledge which can satisfy the demands of 

 agriculture and horticulture. First-hand observation, the habit of experiment, and 

 the power to make quantitative determinations will be found in this as in other 

 applied sciences to be indispensably necessary. 



Elementary instruction in natural history, even when it is offered to the prob- 

 able inhabitants of large towns, may profitably lead up to such practical pursuits 

 as horticulture. The uatui-al history will be more real, and intellectually more 

 Taluable, if it is directed towards a practical aim. 



At present what may be called labour-saving contrivances are far too popular 

 in the classes where biology and Nature-study are taught. Of these labour-saving 

 contrivances pictures and lantern-slides, ready-made preparations (dead, of course), 

 printed descriptions, museum lectures, &c., are much recommended and employed. 

 It may safely be said that the knowledge which will help to develop industries is 

 not to be got by such facile methods. 



There are already a few teachers scattered over the British islands who are 

 taking a more promising course and striving to lead their pupils to see, to handle, 

 and to think for themselves. Our hopes for the future rest upon the gradual 

 increase of teachers of this type. 



(ii) School Gardens. By Miss Lilian J. Clarke, B.Sc, F.L.S. 



School gardens looked after entirely by the children have been found most 

 useful as a means of education. In connection with Nature-study lessons the 

 following have been proved to be of the utmost value : — 



1. Climbing riants.—A convenient arrangement for climbing plants is a 

 screen made of trellis work or wire netting about six feet high, attached to 

 wooden uprights at intervals. It is useful to have these screens even when wall 

 space is available, as children in an outdoor lesson can stand each side of the screen 

 and draw the various contrivances by means of which plants climb. A good 

 selection shows plants climbing by twining stems, stem tendrils, leaf tendrils, 

 petioles, and hooks. 



2. Pollination Experiments. — These are especially valuable, as the results of 

 many of these experiments are not known beforehand. The children find out 

 what flowers can be self-pollinated by fixing a muslin frame over the plants or 

 tying up flowers in muslin bags, and thus ascertain what flowers are dependent 

 on visits of insects for the production of fruit. 



3. Fruits especially adapted for dispersal by wind, a7ii7)ials, S,-c. — It is well to 

 include in the gardens plants which have interesting fruits as well as those 

 which have interesting flowers. Outdoor lessons can be given on the dispersal of 

 fruits by means of plumes, wings, hooks, &c., and the children can see which 

 plants easily spread. 



4. Experiments in connection with the Food of Plants. — Experiments can be 

 made by placing stencils of tinfoil on the leaves of plants growing in the garden. 

 By means of tbese the necessity of light for the formation of starch can be shown 

 in a simple manner, and the children learn how important it is for plants to have 

 plenty of light. Nasturtium and sunflower leaves are useful in these experiments, 

 and the plants are easily grown by children. 



.5. Soil Experiments. — [a) Growing plants year after year in the same soil 

 without supplying any manure and noting the effect, {b^ Inoculating plants, 

 such as peas, with bacteria, and comparing the croprs produced from similar plants 

 not inoculated, (c) Growing plants in various soils, and noting the effect of the 

 polls on the plants and the difl'erent treatments required. It is quite easy to grow 

 plants in chalk, clay, sand, and see the influence of the soil on the life ot thn 

 plant. 



In addition to gardens planned in connection with the Nature-study work the 



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