The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-03

Professor Hart OF Amherst stated be
fore the twenty-seventh annual session
Of the farmers national congress il
Oklahoma that a study of nature ha.
been in the schools from time imme-
mortal. The term Nature Study does
not mean so much the adding of new
things as it means q new way of learn
ing some old things-a natural first
hand way as opposed TO an artificial
secondhand. or book, way. None OF
us can remember when cur Biographies
didn't contain descriptions of islands
capes, plains, hills and streams, OF
plants, of animals and of m .nerals. Nei-
Their can many of US remember ever be-
ing directed to learn about any of these
things with our own eyes, our own ears
our own hands Our school readers
have always contained stories of na-
lures wonders, and poems descriptive
OF her beauties: but il has been re-
served To this and the coming genera
tons of teachers TO guide young minds
into the discovery of natures wonders
and TO attune young souls to the en-
joyment of her beauties"
Let Pupils Observe 1t.
IT has already been minated that
these articles are intended primarily
for the benefit of young students and
school teachers; although, of course, if
others find in them anything worth
while, 50 much the better
1t is proposed here to tell some $50
things, new and old, familiar. strange,
wonderful, but all of them facts signifi-
cant to the people of this western
plateau, about our most common and
most valuable cultivated plant-alfalfa,
OF lucern. Moreover, each fact is in
tended also as a reason or argument
tending to show why such lessons
should be given to pupils in the public
schools.
A principal of one of the city schools
(Hay kind providence enlighten him
in case this article fails to do SOD re-
Gently expressed the opinion that he
could not see why our schools should
Lake a study of such home products
as alfalfa. His pupils now make what
Is, in many ways, an admirable study
of cotton, coffee, bananas and other
commercial products not produced here.
BY taking for illustration the plant
that he expressly rejected as insult
able for this purpose, namely, the al
falfa, i shall try to show why the
study of foreign products should be
preceded by the observation, handling.
describing, drawing. and perhaps by
raising. the making. or the dealing
with, those species or with those large
and universal aspects of nature which
characterize our own land also with
those processes of life and industry
which occupy the attention of our own
Lest We Forget.
How can we as teachers so easily for
get the days of our youth? Legislators
pass game laws giving freedom to kill.
why not give" asks Professor Hart,
rewards to preserve, rather? The boy
who can show the largest number of
tame quails or prairie chickens is enti-
tied TO infinitely higher consideration
than the sportsman who can exhibit
the greatest number of dead ones after
a days hunt. In those ancient DAYS
when man lived largely by the chase, il
was customary to require of the lusty
youth seeking place by the council
fires among the elders of the tribe, to
go TO the haunts of the wild beast and
bring in Single-ha nded and alone some
trophy of the chase ike a deer, a bear. |
Or wild boar. This was his examina- |
ton; and his certificate of fitness to |
take a place among men was written |
IN the scars of the conflict upon the |
skin of his own body rather than upon |
the skin of a sheep. Furthermore. the /
1omestication of so many animals and |
plants was done in those prehistoric |
times when the race was young and full |
1f an aDounding energy characteristic 1
II youth. The well grown boy whose /
development has been normal feels the /
lust of power and longs TO /
-aste the sweets of a glorious con- /
quest. And the young Alexander sub /
lung Buceplalus is quite as civilizing 4
% modern youth as is Leonidas hold |
ng the pass or Horatius guarding the
bridge"
And while If is good to study the cot
on and the betel nut. every boy who
las, like the writer. from early boyhoed
ut the alfalfa and watched the COWS,
iorses and chickens enjoy it's sweet
oliage; who has irrigated, harvested.
tored, or sold it; who knows already
many things about il and is, therefore.
n the right frame of mind to learn
more of its value. uses. curious proper
les, and unique behavior-what teach
r. l say. would neglect this wondrous
york of nature. this scientific wealth.
PRODUCER at our doors, in order TO go
ar afieid on a gossiping tour about
oreign plants2
me Most valuable Crop.
Perhaps the most interesting of euIti-
ated forage plants in the west is the
ne locally known as lucern. No other
orage crop in the United States has
cen given more attention during the
asst ten years. 1t supplies western
airymen and stOckmen with their most
aiuable forage and saves them a large
oTtion of the money annually expend-
q in other places for feeds that are
Ugh in protein No other forage plant
o combines the materials into the
l0st profitable ration for dairy COWS.
heep and breed sows. Though espe-
tally at home in the semi-arid west.
ne Wisconsin station has ascertained
hat even in the east, alfalfa, when
rown in comparison with red clover.
mothy, and bronze grass during the
Jason of 1904, the yield per acre of hay
as "a tons for alfalfa, 2.5 tons for
lover. % tons for timothy and 1.3 tons
or bronze grass As g green forage
he weight of alfalfa grown per acre
as double that of clover. three times
nat of timothy. and FIVE times that of
rome grass The percent of protein .
lund in the hay was as follows: ISL
'r alfalfa, 1928 for clover, 4.74 for tim
rrx ard < for bror,,a ! ,