The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-05-06
W. T. HUGHES LETTER.
Would Arouse Greater Interest in the
Study Of the Natural Sciences
Especially Botany.

"EIe is happiest who hath power
To gather wisdom from a flower
And make his heart in every hour
To pleasant gratitude. -
WORDSWORTH
To my Fulton County Botany
Class.
MY DEAR FRIBNDs:-In occa-
sionally sending these bits of
prosaic prose, with here and there
a spice of borrowed poetry, to the
genial editor of the News, for
him to pass along to you, it is
with the pleasing thought in
mind that there are in my native
county a multitude of girls and
boys, and of older persons, too,
who would not only be pleased at
knowing, but whose strong de-
sire is to know, at least by name,
many individuals of that vast
host of wild plants-Trees,
Shrubs, and the humber herbs
or flowers" that greet them on
every side, season after season,
year by year. You are not start
tied that l credit you with the
very laudable ambition for knowl-
edge of the immense Vegetable
world, when you consider what a
wonder world it must necessarily
be. Simply to remind you that
our own existence, with that of
all other animals is absolutely
dependent upon it, is sufficient to
make US all, (if we are wise peo-
ple), willing to be instructed in a
Kingdom of Nature Of so vital
Importance to US.
l do not blame you if you shrink
from poring over textbooks on
Grammar, from which you never
learn to Speak or write the En-
glish language with propriety;"
or arithmetic, which, after you
pass the first few pages of fun
damentals," are choked to more
than safety with problems whose
chief merit is that they are time
wasting and impracticable; or,
Geography, that is little more
than the bounding of States and
Counties, the location of lakes,
bays, capes, cities and towns, or
the description of the meander-
ing of some African river which
is supposed somewhere along its
course, to be tn e life-giving
stream to the territory of a re-
Gently discovered race of Hot
tentots. The curricula of most
of our schools, public especially,
need heroic readjustment. On
the whole there is too little Nat
ural Science taught-to too much of
the abstract, too little of the con-
crete. We are learning that chill
dren need for the best of reasons
more of that sort of instruction
which is best given and best re-
ceived out of doors, amid health
tul surroundings. You live in the
country, and should be glad of it.
You may browse ad libitum, in
Natures garden, the choicest
specimens ever at your command,
with no one mean enough to mo-
lest or make you afraid. Con-
trast your condition with that of
the ordinary city-dweller. Here
we are most of the time bottled
up in an atmosphere of mal-odor-
Gus alcohol as it undergoes fer
mentation in thousands of human
stomachs; also constantly breath
ing the poisonous fumes of to-
bacco, proceeding from the nasal
chimneys of untold numbers of
those who think themselves hon
orable men-and the multitudes
of boys of all ages to whom they
set the pernicious example.
Would Woman Suffrage destroy
this iniquity?) You have an ozone
there that is free from impuri-
ties, that maintains and strength
ems your health, and carries you
forward in easy physical we'll
being to triumphant old age.
Your chances are superb if you
but have the desire, and the nee
essary helps in the matter of
books. Let me recommend to
all as complete guide to every
plant that grows in your region,