1 6 THE XA TURE-STUD Y RE I 'IE W [ 2 . ,-januart, igo6 



section of the country studied ? From where may they be obtained ? 

 How expensive are plants ? Is it possible for us to raise our own 

 plants ? How are they propagated ? How are new varieties obtained ? 

 Which varieties are self fertilized and which need to be fertilized by 

 others ? When should a strawberry bed be started ? What kind of 

 soil and drainage are best suited to the raising of strawberries ? 

 How should the soil be prepared ? How should the plants be set out 

 in a bed ? What kind of cultivation should a strawberry patch 

 receive during the year ? What protection needs to be provided 

 against drought ? How should the bed be protected during the win- 

 ter? What are the different coverings that may be used and what 

 are the advantages or disadvantages of each ? From what animals 

 does the patch need protection ? What plant enemies does one need 

 to contend with and how may this be done best? How often does a 

 new bed need to be set out ? Why is this necessary ? How is it pos- 

 sible to raise strawberries on the same patch of ground year after 

 year and obtain good results ? When and how often should straw 

 berries be picked ? How best put on the market ? How handle the 

 bed after the picking season ? How much profit could one make 

 from an acre of strawberries ? What better work could be done in 

 Domestic Science during the latter part of the spring term than to 

 let the work center on the preparation of strawberries in various 

 ways for the table ? The subject of preserving and canning straw- 

 berries makes a very practicable and thought-provoking topic for girls 

 in the seventh or eighth grade. 



In the third place the topic under consideration is one of a series 

 centering about the larger topic, "Home Garden," or the broader 

 topic, " Agriculture." In this way it finds its place as a topic in a 

 course and is not an isolated topic by itself. 



Out of this topic may grow several lines of activity such as : The 

 examination of soils to determine the best place for a strawberry bed. 

 The various ways in which a soil may be improved as. to texture and 

 richness. The planting of a strawberry bed in a school-garden. 

 The care of the same. New plants may be supplied from the school- 

 garden to children who wish to set out beds at home. Pupils may 

 send for the reports gotten out by experiment stations and by the 

 Government as to how to raise strawberries. There will be a compari- 

 son of the berries of different varieties as to size, shape, color, 

 quality, hardiness and fertility. The different insect and plant ene- 

 mies will be looked into and means discovered to get rid of them. 



