330 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FARM 
for ornament, as at present, but for their educational use- 
fulness as well. 
Making natural reserves servicable. Education began 
in “‘fresh air;schools’’. Country folk have always been wont 
to meet in groves for public exercises. The fresh air and the 
open sky, the majesty of the trees, and the freshness of the 
unspoiled verdure have irresistibly drawn them out of doors. 
With the revival of interest in field work, we are going out: 
doors in companies again and taking some of our work with‘ 
us. 
It is not so easy now, as once it was, to find a spot prepared 
by nature for a gathering place. The requisite conditions are 
that all who come together shall be able to see and to hear 
and to sit comfortably while listening or working. ¢\ grassy 
bank under a tree, when dry enough, may meet these con- 
ditions. For many years a few great trunks of fallen trees 
in the Renwick woods at Ithaca served as meeting places 
for classes in biological field work. But places better suited 
to the needs of classes may easily be arranged in the woods. 
For more continuous use as an outdoor class room, ‘‘The 
Covert,” at Ithaca was made. A natural hollow in the woods, 
over-arched and shaded by trees, was fitted with seats of 
flat field-stones, arranged in semi-circles. Aisles were left 
for passing and paths were made for entrance and exit. At 
the center a massive table, with a slate slab for a top, was 
built of hollow tile and plastered. A door was set in the back 
of its hollow base, and its interior is used for the storage of 
grass mats, between sessions. These mats are handed out 
for use by classes when the stones are tamp and cold. 
““The Covert ’’ is an excellent type of educational equip- 
ment that can be made in any woods. It is very substantial 
and permanent. It does not disfigure the woods (being hardly 
discernible from a distance of a few rods in any direction) 
and it is growing in beauty every year as its trees grow older, 
