The Daily News. THURSDAY, AUG. 10, 1905. NATURE KNOWLEDGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7895, 10 August 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, AUG. 10, 1905. NATURE KNOWLEDGE.

Some short while back there appeared in these columns a brief epitome of the paper which was lead by Dr. Truby King before Hie Agricultural Conference, under the title of "Agricultural Education in Japan." The publication of the full text of the paper has revealed the fact that the paper covered a far larger area o' thought, and a greater extent of views on rational education than could be gathered from the summary which first appeared. It is abundantly evident that Dr. King's object in view was chiefly connected with making country life more interesting as an inducement to people to live where they will have the best health 1 and can rear strong, capable am) energetic families, thereby preventing that physical degeneration which is the outcome of the artificial and unwholesome conditions of life to be found in most abundance in cities, whither the rural population lias a tendency to gravitate. "Universal experience shows," he says, "that city life is always more or less unhealthy, ami it has long been recognised that people in towns ti-iwl to die out in a few generations, and become replaced <by healthy stock from the country." It is in this connection that Dr. King holds up the Japanese as an example, of the youngest, most primitive, yet the most virile of nations, exhibiting no ten ilencics to that physical deterioration which is causing so much anxi ety to the rest of the civilised world The question which naturally arises out of this object lesson furnished by Japau is : How is it that as much cannot l*e l said of ibis young colony, where the natural advantages are greater, the population much less crowded, aird the pressure of life far less severe Mian in Japan ? In a smaller way, and with infinitely less excuse, wc are already beginning to suffer from the evils which threaten the oldest existing civilisations with decay. Dr. King points out that "recent investigations have brought out the fact that perhaps Hi C most important modern cause of degradation is the defective condition of women and children. In Japan rearing b; any other than natural means is practically unknown, at least among the working population." Modern science confirms this view, yet the tendency of the English-speaking race to make the natural process the exception is very evident, and the contention is that a return to nature can alone save the Min from decay. I'm' sperity and .-.L.iniicc are not, as a

rute, conducive lo physical energy, but rather to repose and indulgence in luxuries. The history of the ancient Powers such as the Romans, and others, clearly shows that when a nation becomes enervated by pleasure and luxury the vital power of tliat nation is sapped, ami in due time a more virile but less "civilised" Power destroys that which lias difcenerated. This is lrow Nature asserts her rights. There is no question that pure air and sunshine pve, a stimulus to healthy exercise, ami therefore a country life has mani/est 'ailvantages over that in cities, with their endless round of gaieties and social functions, and the struggle jo be in the "fashion." No doubt (hero | are, ami always will be, strong temptations tu the Luighlubt sjiUits

among the rural population to migrate. to the towns and "sec lite," but this is mainly due to defective education, the children not having been "trained to observe, understand and appreciate what is going on

around them." This want of a rational education is one that demands serious attention. How many people arc there who possess any knowkd<re all oi even the simplest processes ■)( nature to be met with every moment of their lives ? We ftar it is very few indeed. With some there is no time to look around and ask questions, and with others there is no inclination. Yet all these miss some of the greatest charms of life. According to Dr. King, the standard of agricultural knowledge in this colony is, in some respects, from a quavtrr io half a century behind the times, and he advocates a broad training that will he educational in its highest and most general sense, resulting In a direct personal knowledge of nature and her laws, applicable as far as possible in practical life. In thus striving to stimulate the acquisition of this nature-know-ledge, Dr. King has done good service to the community, and there is every reason to believe that by promoting an intellectual interest in rural life the success of agriculture will ue advanced, and by checking the f.ow of the country population townwards the welfare of the nation will be secured, wbile the menace of physical deterioration will be averted. The question of the growth of crops, as well as the growth of men, is one on which the status of a country rests. There is a far greater connection between these two processes than would at first sight appear, and a;.y effort to advance the inseparable inltnsts of these two factors in modern life is deserving of commendation.