The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-12
WITH THE SCIENTISTS


Prof. Bailey. of Cornell University.
gives a weighty answer to the question,
What is nature study? 1t is. he says. a
point of view. tie requirement of SYM
pathy with and interest In the natural
world around us. We live in this world.
and the better We ut IL the better for us
1t Is for this reason that nature study
deserves place in the school studies of
children. Primarily, the object of nature
study is not the acquisition of mere in
formation. Nature study is not method
In the sense that the word is used in ped
agogy IN another sense scientific
method is OF the very essence of nature
study, It would seem. A child asks:
How old is the world? How long have
men lived or it2 Why has a tiger stripes?
Why do certain flowers have exactly
such shapes and no othcrs?' To answer
these questions the child must be made
to comprehend the methods at the base
of geology, zoology, botany. And IN
this sense 1t would seem that method Is
of the very essence OF nature STUDY
The object of such studies Is not 10
make the child a specialist or scientist
1t Is to make him citizen or the worid
he lives into interest him in plant. and
birds. and insects, and running brooks.
The crop of scientists will take care OF
itself. Much is often unwisely sacrifced
to a so-called 'thoroughness which, IN
many cases, takes the form OF a per-
functory drill in mere acts. Accuracy Is,
of course, a prime requisite OF all good
teaching, but II Is necessary, nrst OF an,
to awaken genuine interest Inc Hrst
essential is direct, discriminating, accu-
rate observation. The next is to under
stand why, and the third is the desire
to know more. The final result snouiI
be the development OF Keen persona,
interest in every natural object and
phenomenon.
The form of the leaves OF trees is un-
doubtedly subject to selection so that the
conditions under which any particular
tree lives are exhibited-integrated. as 1t
were-in its leaf forms. But the condi-
lions are so complex that no general law
of connection between leaf forms and the
struggle for existence has yet been made
out. A study of the variations OF the
forms of the leaves of mulberry trees
has lately been made by Mr. A. N.
somers. The normal shape of the leaves
of the black variety (Morus nigra) is well
known A branch of this tree was severe
" rnutilated and the leaves of this branch
took on quite different forms. white
mulberry was severely cut back to in
duce the weeping form and another
was trimmed to make a giobe-shaped
top. The abnormality of the leaf formed
increased with the severity of the mutlla-
ton of the trees The experiments were
kept up throughout a whole season and
were uniformly alike from early spring
until the frosts Of autumn. The only
variations of results bore direct rela-
ton to wet and dry periods with the
greatest variations during the longest
dry periods. Two Of the trees bore fruit
and the one most severely trimmed bore
blossoms only. Similar experiments on
oak. apple. and cherry trees gave ike re-
suits The original paper referred to.
with illustrations. is to be found in the
Popular Science News for August, 19ol-
Prof Max Wolf, of Heidelberg, has
large Photographic telescope. the gift of
the late Catherine Wolfe Bruce. of New
York, which he has lately employed in
photography of nebulae. On a single
plate (taken with a smaller instrumenp
he found in 1892 100 small nebulae, all
previously unknown, within one degree
of the bright star Eta Virgins None of
these are visible in ordinary telescopes,
though very clearly shown on the plate
In four regions between Praesepe and the
Milky Way CSh I'm, plus IL degrees ~
minutes; sh. ISM, 20 degrees minutes;
Sh. 9m., "a degrees 40 minutes; Sh- 10m-.
% degrees 40 minutes) he found liz, mostly
very small planetary nebulae. where only
three were formerly known These re-
gions lie in a part of the heavens very
poor in nebulae visible in telescopes. and
their discovery by photography is of ex-
treme interest
An international congress and EXPOSE
ton dealing with all kinds of questions
that relate to fisheries and fishermen are
to be held at Ostend during August and
September There are to be three sec
lions. The first is to consider questions
relating to the hygiene of seamen and
hsher-folk. questions of engineering, etc.
The second is to discuss all matters re-
Hfp-Sa X
to consider everything relating to fishing,
as well as matters referring TO the intel
lectual and moral welfare of fishermen.
The exposition will show exhibits CORE
spending to the foregoing programme.
The regions on the west coast OF Ameri-
ca are badly in need of the timber that
grows so plentifully in the northwestern
parts of the United States. The trans
port by vessel is expensive and the mat
ter of transporting the wood in bulk has
been much discussed and some expert
ments have been tried from time to time.
Recently system of cigar-shaped RATS
built in a central hulk and secured by
chains every twelve feet. has been tried
and has worked well. Logs of about 80
feet in length are used to form raft
some 400 feet in length and some 30 feet
in diameter and the raft is towed in the
open sea. Such a raft contains as much
timber as can be carried by a dozen ordi-
nary timber vessels, and twenty or more
RATS of the sort have already arrived
safely at San Francisco from the Column
bia River
OF late years we have heard much from
the Italian school of anthropologists
about the criminal ear" Dr. Keith. an
English specialist, has studied the ears of
more than 1000 individuals, including 800
criminals and 900 lunatics (aS well
some hundreds of animals), and he finds
that ears give absolutely no clew to per-
sonal traits.