November 28, 1884.] 



SCIENCE, 



487 



THE AG A SSI Z ASSOCIATION. 



The benefit accruing to science from the 

 humble work of those who endeavor faithfully 

 to popularize its teachings is not alwaj's rec- 

 ognized by the investigator. Yet such work, 

 though looked down upon by many not taking 

 the trouble properly to inform themselves, is 

 worthy of no doubtful recognition. An excel- 

 lent example, perhaps second to none in this 

 country for its success and beneficial results, 

 is the founding and conduct of the Agassiz 

 association, which held its first general as- 

 sembly last summer in Philadelphia. The 

 origin and plan of the association are the work 

 of one man, Mr. Harlan H. Ballard. The 

 societ} T was first a local institution for youth 

 at the Lenox (Mass.) academy, of which Mr. 

 Ballard is principal. It proved so successful 

 in promoting a love for the study of natural 

 phenomena, that he conceived the idea of mak- 

 ing the experiment more generally useful. An 

 invitation to form a general association was 

 answered with such unexpected enthusiasm, 

 that over seven hundred local branches have 

 now been established, and more than eight 

 thousand children and grown people enrolled 

 within four years. As the idea was in part 

 suggested by the success of a similar society 

 of boj's and girls in Switzerland, the American 

 association has been very appropriately named 

 after Louis Agassiz, whose sympathy and ear- 

 nest work in behalf of popular education has 

 made his name historical in both Switzerland 

 and America. 



The association was originally planned for 

 the benefit of the young. It was speedily 

 ascertained, however, that its methods of en- 

 couraging study by out-door collecting, by 

 subsequent talks, and by arranging exchanges 

 with others, were much more effective stimu- 

 lants than had been imagined ; and other 

 teachers besides the principal of Lenox acad- 

 emy found them useful in their schools. 



By the regulations of the association, chap- 

 ters may be established by a few persons, four 

 being the minimum limit ; and age having been 

 wisely left out of account, many families 



have formed separate chapters. In some cases 

 single persons of mature age, living in remote 

 places, have found its advantages such that 

 they have been admitted as correspondents. 

 The voluntary labor of students in various 

 departments has been secured, so that chapters 

 and correspondents can obtain the information 

 they need at first hand ; and the extensive cor- 

 respondence to effect this result has been con- 

 ducted without charge by Mr. Ballard. By 

 the co-operation of the editors of St. Nicholas, 

 a monthly report is printed in that journal, 

 without expense to the association. The maga- 

 zine has thus become instrumental in helping to 

 support the association, and deserves all the 

 honor and credit won by such good offices. 



Classes for the systematic study of elemen- 

 tary botan}', entomolog}' , anatonry, and physi- 

 ology, have been formed under the leadership 

 of competent teachers, and conducted by cor- 

 respondence. Self-help and independent ex- 

 ertion are in this way made necessary for 

 every isolated chapter, and this is systemat- 

 ically encouraged by all the influence of the 

 leader of the association. Much good must 

 have been already done in this way in direct 

 opposition to the whole tendency of the ordi- 

 nary training of the schools, and we are much 

 mistaken if both pupils and teachers have not 

 in many cases been greatly benefited b}- their 

 experience in this really higher class of educa- 

 tional work. 



We are told by the president, in his ' Hand- 

 book,' that the association is designed to be 

 an extended free school of the natural sciences, 

 open to persons of all ages and conditions. 

 We cannot avoid a smile, however, when he 

 adds that the association is intended to re- 

 semble the ' great school at Chautauqua ; ' for 

 that school, with its large annual attendance and 

 camp-meeting organization, is not one-tenth 

 part so valuable to the intellectual interests of 

 this country as either the Agassiz association 

 or the somewhat similar ' Association for the 

 promotion of home studies,' founded by Miss 

 Ticknor of Boston. The conductors of these 

 enterprises have done something permanent 

 and effectual towards spreading a taste for 



