Handbook of Nature-study for Teachers and Parents, Based on the Cornell Nature-study Leaflets

Excerpt from Handbook of Nature-Study, Vol. 1 of 2: For Teachers and Parents; Based on the Cornell Nature-Study Leaflets, With Much Additional Material and Many New Illustrations

The Cornell University Nature-Study propaganda was essentially an agricultural movement in its inception and its aims; it was inaugurated as a direct aid to better methods of agriculture in New York State. During the years of agricultural depression 1891-1893, the Charities of New York City found it necessary to help many people who had come from the rural districts - a condition hitherto unknown. The philanthropists managing the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor asked, "What is the matter with the land of New York State that it cannot support its own population?" A conference was called to consider the situation to which many people from different parts of the State were invited; among them was the author of this book, who little realized that in attending that meeting the whole trend of her activities would be thereby changed. Mr. George T. Powell, who had been a most efficient Director of Farmers' Institutes of New York State was invited to the conference as an expert to explain conditions and give advice as to remedies. The situation seemed so serious that a Committee for the Promotion of Agriculture in New York State was appointed. Of this committee the Honorable Abram S. Hewitt was Chairman, Mr. R. Fulton Cutting, Treasurer, Mr. Wm. H. Tolman, Secretary. The other members were Walter L. Suydam, Wm. E. Dodge, Jacob H. Schiff, George T. Powell, G. Howard Davidson, Howard Townsend, Professor I. P. Roberts, C. McNamee, Mrs. J. R. Lowell, and Mrs. A. B. Comstock. Mr. George T. Powell was made Director of the Department of Agricultural Education.

At the first meeting of this committee Mr. Powell made a strong plea for interesting the children of the country in farming as a remedial measure, and maintained that the first step toward agriculture was nature-s…