170 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 501. 



this is now a head center of the nature- 

 study movement. The character of one 

 branch of the work may be best made clear 

 by the reproduction of the following circu- 

 lar letter relating to a reading course for 

 farmers : 



To THE EdITOE, 



Will you not help us to reach the farming com- 

 munity bj' inserting the following note ? The 

 reading-course described below is provided for the 

 farmer by state appropriation. We want him to 

 receive the fullest possible benefit. Kindlj' send 

 us a marked copy of the issues containing this 

 notice. — Very truly yours, 



S. W. Fletcher, 

 Supervisor of Farmers' Beading Course. 



WINTER EVENINGS ON THE FARM. 



The wide-awake farmer is now wondering what 

 lie can do in the long winter evenings to aid him 

 in the work of next season. He would like to 

 know more about the things with which he has to 

 do; how he can feed his crops better; how he can 

 make a piece of ' worn out ' land fertile once 

 more; how he can get the greatest feeding value 

 from the stock of hay and grain in his barn. 

 Many of these practical questions are in his mind 

 at this time. 



We would suggest that one of the best ways of 

 answering them is through the ' Farmers' Reading 

 Course,' conducted by the College of Agriculture 

 of Cornell University. Once each month, from 

 November to March, a short lesson on some prac- 

 tical farm topic is sent to each member. These 

 lessons are written in a plain way, so that any 

 farmer can readily understand. The only ex- 

 pense to the reader is an occasional stamp in 

 reply. Many thousand New York farmers are 

 now enrolled in this reading course. All that is 

 necessaiy to become a member is to send your 

 name on a postal card to Farmers' Reading 

 Course, Ithaca, N. Y. The state pays for this 

 work, and every one in the state interested in 

 farming has a right to its benefits. 



For many years Professor Bailey has 

 been studying the improvement of .the 

 grounds of niral schools. Recognizing 

 that the school playgrounds are, as a rule, 

 'bare, harsh, cheerless, immodest!' he has 

 sought to interest those connected with the 

 schools in making them attractive and has 

 put forward hints for the proper laying 



out of the grounds. The literature on 

 this subject issued from Cornell is of a most 

 valuable character. 



But perhaps the most interesting of the 

 movements going on under Professor 

 Bailey's influence is the formal organiza- 

 tion of junior naturalist clubs in schools all 

 over the state. This is under the direction 

 of Mr. John W. Spencer, known as Uncle 

 John, whom I had the privilege and pleas- 

 ure of meeting. The object of such clubs 

 "is the study of nature to the end that 

 every member thereof shall love the coun- 

 try better and be content to live therein. 

 Each member is expected to tell Uncle 

 John at least once a month by letter or by 

 drawings what he or she has seen or 

 thought on some topic in nature-study sug- 

 gested by the teacher or by the bureau of 

 nature study." These letters are duly 

 registered and read. On the receipt of the 

 fourth, a badge-pin is sent to be Avorn as a 

 testimony that the owner is entitled to all 

 the honors due to a young naturalist. At 

 intervals, Uncle John writes a letter to his 

 young friends. These letters are full of 

 charm. 



Teachers' leaflets and a 'nature-study 

 monthly' are issued in connection with 

 the enterprise. The number of children 

 enrolled is over 35,000. There can be no 

 doubt that a pioneer work of great impoi'- 

 tance is being done, on which it will be 

 possible to build in the future. It is not 

 possible now to discuss in any proper way 

 the method of teaching adopted. I desire 

 to say everything in its favor, feeling as 

 I do that the object in view is all impor- 

 tant ; but I am satisfied that the work lacks 

 depth and that those engaged in it are not 

 yet aware of the extent to which it is pos- 

 sible to introduce exact method into such 

 studies; they need to be more fully ac- 

 quainted with the practise of scientific 

 method and with the art of discovery. It 

 would be more nearly cori-ect to speak of 



