NATURE STUDIES FOR THE YOUNG. 13 
into the young mind, the fact that the popular world to-day is overwhelmed with 
a deluge, vaster and more universal than Noah's, of crude suppositions and wild 
theories which are turning the world upside down. And it can never be se t 
right till young and old have learned to be fully persuaded in their own minds— 
not in another's, and to prove all things by individual, independent thought. 
Now how can this independence of mind be best acquired ? This question 
suggests a consideration of the relative value of studies usually pursued. Did 
space permit, it would not be difficult to show that, while all are valuable and 
none can be entirely dispensed with, the best results in furtherance of every legiti- 
mate design of school instruction are to be looked for in the realm of nature 
studies ; and that these ought to have, through the whole course of school and 
college instruction, and especially in the early part of each, at least as much time 
and attention as any other branch of study. 
The time one can devote to educational pursuits — which during the time are 
unproductive — is, at best, but short. And, if we accept the statements of those 
who ought to know, its brevity is increasing. In other words, the ''ratio of 
graduates to our population is continually diminishing." This decline, which is 
a sad one for the educational interests of our land, is attributable to the fact that 
the education of to-day does not keep pace with the demands of practical life. 
If we would have our people receive a thorough education, we must establish a 
closer relationship between the studies of the schools and the pursuits of every- 
day life. This has been forcibly urged by such educators as Winchell, Youmans, 
Dawson, Spencer, and others; and there is still need of the continual rubbing 
that shall at length wear away the ruts in which educational methods have run 
from primeval times. 
Of course, the shorter the time one can spend for his education the more 
imperative the demand for such studies from the start as will be of most advant- 
age to him in after Hfe. But we hear on every hand the statement that every 
pupil must have reading, spelling, geography, grammar, arithmetic, history, some 
ancient and modern languages, a Httle music and art, and with these indispensa- 
bles they have no time for such such superfluities as scientific studies. Is this 
system based upon the soundest reason from our present stand-point of observa- 
tion ? If it was best in times long past this does not prove it the best now ; but 
rather, if the times have changed the probabilities are that the demands of the 
times have changed also. 
Passing over other points of inquiry respecting the benefits of nature studies, 
let us spend a few minutes upon the two questions most prominent in ideas of 
education: (i) as to their value for strengthening and sharpening the intellect 
and (2) their practical use, as compared with other studies. 
As a means of intellectual culture science has no superior. The first requi- 
site to success in any line of effort is interest in it. The attractiveness of natural 
objects and the pecuUar fascination in the study of nature, to all who have learn- 
ed to see these things, afford a degree of interest and mental quickening which is 
found in no other studies. Ancient classics and mathematics ^a:z;^3^^« considered 
