The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-04-25
GRANGE MEETING
Interesting Program cauisd 0ul A. Last
AssliAs.

~ Aiu laat regular inviting OF itNr
nlngion Grange 40. $50, prohiab'e
literary program vas carried oul s.
Eyeril harwood, SECRETARY, read an
interesting and ioslrpol.ye paper. GA
che topic, els our prescai Forestry
legislation Beneficial 10 farmersf'
This subject was followed by ihe top.
De-. "Whai Aciioncan the Grange Take
20 Introduce Nature Studies inlo ihe
Pub be- schools " A paper -as ead
boz Mrs g.. a. Rice of a character 90
lnlrrrsi all aho take an Interest 10 ihe
. bile schoois. Tho readlng ~ This
papff eas followed by an address hy
A w. Narney, superintendent oi ihe
graded school
Mr Narney spoke oi ihe irlrhffs'
iimg being already oyocroNlod aud
thought i.e best plan tor Introducing
nature studies would b. ns general
exercise for The whole sclool a
hnosledsc Of botany aud geology
would boz a help 10 uhc teacher bui 20
leNi hook line ~ work could be- follow
cd out Tho teacher would have "a
formulate hor oNn plan Of work. Tie
touched Goa tho fact that a. general
rule farmers boys wcrc securing an
education no a. not a. become farmers.
Sir Varncy concluded his remarks by
saying that ihc farmer, life IL the
IDEAL llie aud that professional men az
a rule lndulgei ln day dreams Of re-
ur.ng a. sonc future time 10 such a
hic.
several musical selection. wero
ploaslngly rendered. a special meet.
log Tor Initiating candidates was call
ed ior Wednesday, April -. The ma
irons of ihe order viii give supper
Ia the GAR nall Friday. April - BE.
low is the paper read by Mrs c. A.
Rice.
The Introduction Of nature studies
in public schools has been accomplish
Ell 10 some eKiepi already 10 response
90 public sentiment In Is favor, and
The most effective work that can be-
done by iho Grange 20 secure a more
general adoption Of this course u
along the line Of developing public
sentiment by making our wants more
public.
AN true reform movements begin
with toe people II any permanent sue
cess Ii attained The more merit
question has the more strength 10 viii
galu hy public discussion, aud II 10
lacks 10 merit il viii lose hy such dis
cussion.
The great strength 81 the Orange in
securing needed reforms, j. MOI 30
much To- the action It's members tabe
at the ballot box upon such matters as
ar decided there, a. In the influence 10
Is able 70 exert upon the public az
large through discussion aud action
upon matters OF public concern. tx
perls admit that mental Development
can be obtained a. we'll through the
study OF such subjects as afford infor-
nation 10 the students a. through the
Study OF such matters as only Afford
mental discipline.
Mental development will result from
the study of plants and trees that one
comes IN contact with and the process.
es of nature by which The elements OF
the atmosphere and the elements OF the
soil are combined 10 produce those
plants and trees as well as by commit
ting TO memory the heights OF the prin
cipal peaks OF the Andes or the names
OF the rivers In China.
II is admitted that Toy or girl
will be- educated while studying the ma
ture and composition of rocks or the
names and habits OF birds which they
see every day as much as by the study
of dead languages or working out the
almost meaningless problems of higher
mathematics; so let Us substitute In
our schools. In part at least, nature
study for one or more of the subjects
named.
Ii being admitted that the mental de-
velopment Is as great. let us stop a
moment aud compare the eject on the
health In studying nature we must
of necessity be out of doors where
there is pure air and bright sunshine,
while in studying the dead languages
and higher mathematics II is necessary
to spend hours IN rooms which are apt
to be tightly closed and we go forth
from those rooms feeling tired and
nervous. while after spendingthe same
number OF hours studying nature we
return TO our other duties feeling re
freshed in mind and body.
Our grange hours could and should
be potent factors in nature studies by
the children TO study
birds, trees, flowers and rocks. En-
courage them to notice something
about nature while going TO and from
school and to tell about it at home: or
give them a small plot of ground to
make garden, letting them plant and
care for whatever they wish.
In promoting this subjective Grange
is doing a national good as all the
oranges all over the United States
have taken up this subject giving it
general discussion, and what the
Grange has done should encourage us |
to do oar part toward helping intro
duce the study of nature. The Grange |
has done a great deal about pure food |
legislation and still has much 10 do. |
1t was through the grange that X. Il. |
ID. was brought about and through +.
d. that the farmer can buy direct of |
the wholesale supply houses thereby |
saving middlemen's profits.
L - IL. ela.nl - NNnw