The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-15
NATURE srunY-

Jan. ~ 1SV4-
Editor Advertiser: If I may have
space once more. here are a few sug-
gestions on Nature study
There may be good reasons for your
correspondent of last Saturday calling
the work in Nature study '.mush.'' It
would be a matter for surprise if there
were no failures in this line of work.
So rapidly has Nature study been de-
veioped. that even teachers thoroughly
interested in the work have found it.
difficult to keep pace with this deveE-
opment.
To trace its history might be inter
esting; but it would be tiresome I'd
many, and this must be avoided, as
far as possible.
Nature study should be a. prepara-
ton for the sciences, for those who are
to have university training. And it
should be a preparation for under
standing everyday conditions of life
for those whose school training ends
with the public school course.
Plant life, animal life, mechanical de-
vices, chemical combinations and
health conditions should be subjects for
Nature study. But the pupils are not
supposed to deal with any of these
matters from the standpoint of the
scientist They should become inter-
ested in natural objects, natural de-
velopnents and natural laws rather
than TO try to get simple Isolated facts;
to deal in q general way with many
things rather than try TO study a few
things in detail.
There was a stage In the develop
ment of Nature study when pupils
spent months on the forms of leaves,
and other months on the classification
of plants: when they spent months in
oAssecting insects and larger animals
and other months in classifying them
Everything must be dead before IT was
q fit subject for study.
All this has changed. It Is life now
and the conditions of life that call for
in Nature study.
With plants the question now is how
to propa gate them; what soil is best
TO them and how to improve
the soil; and how to improve the plant
and its fruit by selection and by arti-
fetal poIlenization. With animal life
the question now is, which are inju-
rious, and which are beneficial: how
they reproduce their kind and how 10 |
destroy pests and how to increase and |
improve those that are beneficial With |
devices the question is how |
to employ them 10 advantage IN the |
arts and in agriculture and in every |
lay conveniences. With chemistry 1
The question is no longer a question Of l
endless formulate but of how plants /
get their food from the soil and from /
he air, and how animals get their food |
rom plants, and from each other; and !
low plants and animals are mutually /
dependent upon each other.
And what can be more simple, yet
more important than the conditions
which decide the health or sickness Of
LII mankind. To keep the body clean.
o breathe fresh air. to drink pure
water. TO have the food properly cook
d. TO keep houses and streets clean.
o keep sores covered, TO isolate people
Who have contagious diseases: these
hings are being taught as nature
tudy.
Such work should tend to make bet
er citizens and better conditions for
H.
1 know these things are not being
aught as they should be taught, and
viii be taught in future. I know II
,ecause, though have been Interested
these matters several years anu !
rorl<ing along these lines, I am not do
1g the work as il should be done AMI
iii be done in future. But am doing
he best I can. And I know other
aachers are doing their best. though
hey. too. may fail in part It is
ioneer work Let Us teach the child
en- OF today as best We may; and
rhen they are men and women they
VII know better than We can know.
THAT TO teach and how TO teach IL
All men and women are interested
Z Nature Study, though they may not
now 10 what extent The Scientist,
he business man, the professional man. !
8 well as the farmer and the trades
ian. But, as KipIing says. that IS an
Their story. L. THOMPSON.