12 NATURE STUDY AND LIFE 



Humanity, like the giant Antaeus, renews its strength 

 when it touches Mother Earth. Sociological studies sug- 

 gest that city life wears itself out or goes to decay after 

 three or four generations, unless rejuvenated by fresh 

 blood from the country. Thus these deeper relations to 

 nature are not only ancient and fundamental but are also 

 immanent and persistent. While I should not advocate 

 teaching trades in the public school, although we are wont 

 to say that every boy should learn one, this study is 

 so much deeper down in the warp and woof of life, so 

 immediately supports the whole structure of civilized 

 social organization, and is so closely associated in the 

 creation and maintenance of the home, as distinguished 

 from the camp on the one side and the tenement-house 

 barrack on the other, that it stands on quite a different 

 footing. I should like to see the nature-study course give 

 to all boys and girls the knowledge and the power to sur- 

 round their homes with the most useful and beautiful 

 plants available, and actually to produce their living by 

 rearing plants or animals, or both, if occasion ever require. 

 Many will say that this instruction belongs to the home. 

 This is true in a measure; much of it should and must 

 be done by the home, and one of the chief aims of this 

 book is to unite home and school in the work. Often a 

 home from which this fundamental "nature study" has 

 lapsed can be reached and rejuvenated by the children 

 through the school. This is not only the easiest and 

 most natural way, but in many cases the only hope. 



But, the teacher says, the parents make all sorts of 

 objections to nature study, call it a "fad," "nonsense," 

 complain of "waste of time on new-fangled notions," say 



