3° THE HA TURE-STUD Y RE VIE W [ 2 . ,-jamuaky, , 9 o6 



SUNFLOWERS FOR GOLD-FINCHES 



BY DELIA M. HALE 



Teacher of Grade IV, Upsala St. School, Worcester, Mass. 



In lessons on seed germination the bean has held the place of 

 honor about long enough. After it has fulfilled its mission of swell- 

 ing and sprouting — not to mention decaying — it is consigned to the 

 waste basket to be thought of no more. 



Acting upon the suggestion that a seed be chosen with a view to a 

 future career of usefulness, the sunflower seed was selected. The 

 ink-wells at each desk were lined with cotton kept moist, but not wet. 

 Enough cotton was put in to make a fairly thick layer for both sides 

 and top. In each ink-well were placed three sunflower seeds, and 

 upon them was lavished the greatest care, varying from the tender 

 solicitude of the girls, to the more business-like — though none the 

 less devoted — attention given by the boys. And now there began a 

 supervision by each child that completely disproved the truth of the 

 old adage'" The watched pot never boils." As soon as the children 

 reached their desks in the morning they eagerly looked to see what 

 new change had taken place through the night and more eagerly told 

 of the swelling of the seed, or the cracking of the shell, or the already 

 started sprout, they had found. There was no dying out of their 

 interest, because the seeds of all attained different stages of develop- 

 ment each day, making it true that " competition is the life of seed 

 germination." 



As soon as the seeds had sprouted sufficiently, they were planted in 

 small pots furnished by the children. From the woods they brought 

 rich soil, mixed it with the proper amount of sand, sifted it and 

 sprinkled it lightly into the pots after putting in broken bits of crockery 

 and flowerpots for drainage. 



For several days the pots were kept upon the desks, but later were 

 removed to the window-sills where the sun could reach them. . On the 

 days in which school was not in session they were placed in the zinc 

 pan of an umbrella-rack. This held water enough to give the plants 

 sufficient moisture, absorbed through the bottom of the pots. 



When the seedlings had reached four or five inches in height they 

 were transplanted to the school-garden. The care of the plants did 

 not end when they were placed in the garden, for they needed pro- 

 tection from the sun through the middle of the day. This was 

 furnished by newspapers supported by sticks, which were removed 



