July  31,  1902. 
99 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
that  some  study  of  nature  was  an  essential  part  of  a  complete 
education.  In  the  study  of  natural  history  we  should  proceed 
from  the  general  to  the  particular;  collection  should  be 
encouraged,  but  it  was  only  a  means  to  an  end,  not  an  end  in 
itself.  It  was  like  a  library,  necessary  for  study,  but  useless 
unless  studied.  If  pets  were  kept,  they,  too,  should  be  observed. 
Then  as  to  plants,  how  many  problems  were  opened  up  by  flowers, 
leaves,  and  seeds  ?  There  must  be  causes  for  the  different  forms 
of  leaves.  What  were  they?  The  late  Lord  Derby  used  to  say 
that  considering  the  marvellous  discoveries  of  the  last  hundred 
years  we  could  not  expect  so  much  in  the  future.  With  our 
improved  instruments  he  expected  more,  as  we  had,  moreover, 
more  students,  and  the  opportunities  for  research  had  become 
more  numerous.  Everything  is  full  of  interest  to  those  who  had 
eyes  to  see.  In  the  troubles  and  sorrows  of  life  science  could,  and 
would,  do  much  to  soothe,  comfort,  and  console. 
County  Council  Action. 
Mr.  H.  Hobhouse,  M.P.,  spoke  on  the  question  of  “How  the 
County  Councils  may  encourage  Nature-Study.”  The  best  work 
they  could  do  was  in  the  training  of  the  teachers.  He  pointed 
out  that  twenty-two  County  Councils  conducted  short  special 
courses  for  teachers,  extending  over  a  few  weeks  in  the  summer ; 
twenty-four  had  instituted  longer  and  more  systematic  course^; 
twenty-six  had  arranged  in  connection  with  these  courses  out¬ 
door  rambles;  twenty-five  had  courses  in  horticulture,  twenty 
in  botany,  twenty  in  natural  history,  fourteen  in  plant  life, 
nine  in  entomology,  and  seven  in  zoology.  In  almost  every 
case  the  instruction  was  given  at  agricultural  colleges  or  in 
central  positions.  A  great  deal  more  would  have  to  be  done 
and  peripatetic  teachers  might  be  provided.  School  gardens  and 
museums  should  be  organised.  Apart  from  the  general  educa¬ 
tional  value  of  Nature-Study  there  were  certain  practical  ends 
which  might  be  kept  in  view,  such  as  the  protection  of  wild 
birds.  Great  ignorance  prevailed  as  to  the  appearance,  names, 
and  habits  of  birds  even  in  rural  districts,  and  classes  could  be 
held  at  convenient  centres,  to  which  he  added,  with  a  smile, 
“  farmers  and  gamekeepers  might  be  specially  invited.”  No  less 
practical  ends  were  the  prevention  of  the  diseases  of  animals, 
the  protection  of  trees  and  garden  plants  from  injurious  insects, 
the  effects  of  different  soils  and  manures  on  various  grasses,  and 
the  habits  of  bees  and  poultry.  Other  papers  on  the  same  (first) 
day  were  read  by  Professor  J.  A.  Thomson  (Marischal  College, 
Aberdeen)  on  “  Seasonal  Studies  in  Natural  History  ”  ;  and  by 
Mr.  H.  Coates  on  “  Local  Museums  as  Aids  to  the  Teaching  of 
Nature  Knowledge.” 
Nature-Study  in  Elementary  Education. 
On  Friday,  July  25,  Lord  Strathcona  presided  at  the  second 
Conference.  In  Canada,  he  said,  they  were  fortunate  in  having 
a  gentleman  who  was  greatly  interested  hi  and  had  done  much 
for  education.  He  referred  to  Sir  W.  Macdonald,  who  had 
given  not  less  than  £750,000  for  the  promotion  of  education. 
Not  content  with  giving  that  large  sum,  when  he  came  to  under¬ 
stand  the  wants  of  the  rural  districts,  Sir  W.  Macdonald  gave 
further  generous  amounts  for  the  purpose  of  Nature-Study.  In 
that  he  had  associated  with  him  Professor  Robertson,  the 
Dominion  Commissioner  of  Agriculture.  In  educational  matters 
we  had  been  going  too  much  in  the  old  grooves  and  not  doing 
enough  to  lead  the  youth  of  the  country  to  study  the  things 
that  lay  around  them.  Lord  Strathcona  went  on  to  speak  of 
the  great  progress  in  Canadian  agriculture  owdng  to  the  educa¬ 
tion  now  given  on  that  subject. 
Professor  C.  Lloyd  Morgan,  Principal  of  the  University 
College,  Bristol,  delivered  an  address  on  “Nature-Study  in  Ele¬ 
mentary  Education.”  Their  object,  he  said,  was  general,  and 
not  special.  It  was,  as  Sir  George  Kekewich  stated,  the  open¬ 
ing  of  a  field  for  the  exercise  of  the  brain  and  the  eye,  and  it 
developed  a  love  of  nature  and  an  interest  in  living  things. 
Teachers  could  do  much  in  this  direction,  but  he  warned  them 
of  the  danger  of  endeavouring  to  inculcate  general  laws  and 
principles  which  were  beyond  the  capacity  of  a  child. 
Mrs.  Franklin,  hon.  secretary  of  the  Parents’  National 
Educational  Union,  read  a  paper  entitled,  “  How  to  Bring 
Children  into  Touch  with  Nature.”  “  Nature-Study  in  Urban 
Schools,”  by  Mr.  H.  Major,  inspector  to  the  Leicester  School 
Board ;  “  The  Teacher  as  an  Observer,”  by  Miss  Mary  Simpson, 
Yorkshire  College,  Leeds;  and  “Trees  as  a  Means  of  Nature- 
Study,”  by  Mr.  John  Evans,  one  of  His  Majesty’s  sub-inspectors, 
were  the  titles  and  readers  of  subsequent  papers.  On  the 
motion  of  Sir  Joshua  Fitch  a  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  the 
readers  of  the  papers. 
We  herewith  print  the  programme  for  the  three  concluding 
sittings:— Tuesday,  July  29.  Chairman:  The  Lord  Balfour  of 
Burleigh,  K.T.,  Secretary  for  Scotland.  Address  on  “Visual 
Instruction  ”  (illustrated),  by  Prof.  Bickmore,  Natural  History 
Museum,  New  York.  Selected  speakers:  “Nature  Study  in 
Relation  to  Rural  Pursuits,”  Mr.  G.  Herbert  Morrell,  M.P.; 
“The  Proper  Attitude  of  the  Teacher,”  Mr.  A.  D.  Hall, 
Principal,  S.E.  Agricultural  College,  Wye,  Kent  ;  “  Nature- 
Study  in  Elementary  Schools  from  the  Teacher’s  Standpoint,” 
Mr.  G.  H.  Rose,  Head  Master,  Caterham  Board  School. 
Thursday,  July  31.  Chairman:  Sir  George  Kekewich,  K.C.B., 
Secretary  to  the  Board  of  Education.  Address  on  “Nature- 
Study  in  Colleges  and1  Higher  Schools,”  by  Prof.  Miall,  F.R.S. 
Selected  speakers :  “  Nature-Study  in  Girls’  Secondary  Schools,” 
Miss  Mary  Gurney,  Member  of  tire  Council  of  the  Girls  Public 
Day  School  Company;  “Plant  Life  as  Nature-Study,”  Mr.  Scott 
Elliott,  West  of  Scotland  Technical  College,  Glasgow ;  “  School 
Gardens,”  Mr.  T.  G.  Rooper,  H.M.I. ;  “  Geology  as  a  Branch  of 
Nature-Study,”  Prof.  Grenville  Cole,  Royal  College  of  Science, 
Dublin. 
Friday,  August  1.  Chairman:  The  Right  Hon.  Sir  W.  Hart- 
Dyke,  Bart.,  M.P.  Address  on  “The  Training  of  Teachers  in 
“  Nature-Study,”  by  the  Rev.  Canon  Steward,  Principal,  The 
Training  College,  Salisbury.  Selected  speakers:  “  The.  Relation 
of  Nature-Study  to  School  Work  and  to  the  Home,”  Sir  Joshua 
Fitch,  LL.D.  ;  “Nature-Study  as  an  Element  of  Culture,  Mr 
M.  E.  Sadler,  Director  of  Special  Enquiries  to  the  Board  of 
Education;  “School  Rambles  and  the  Training  of  Teachers,” 
Mr.  J.  H.  Cowham,  The  Training  College,  Westminster,  S.YV. ; 
“The  Present  Work  of  the  County  Councils,”  Mr.  H.  Macan, 
Secretary,  Surrey  Education  Committee. 
The  Exhibition. 
The  official  catalogue  of  the  exhibition  extends  to  seventy-four 
jages,  which  may  help  to  convey  an  impression  of  the  variety  and 
lumbers  of  contributions  which  have  been  sent.  The  exhibits 
iccupy  all  the  available  space  in  the  great  conservatory,  and 
hey  further  line  each  side  of  the  long  corridor  in  the  Botanic 
Hardens.  Of  a  mixed  nature,  all  are  interesting  and  instructive, 
feachers  are  there  with  their  note-books  ;  students  admire  or 
sriticise  each  other’s  work :  elderly  ladies  and  gentlemen  with 
diildren  go  round  and  find  the  natural  history  objects  as  interest- 
