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40 THE NA TU RE-STUD Y RE VIE W [2 . ,- JANUARy , igc6 



NEWS NOTES 



Seeds for School-Gardens. The Cleveland Home Gardening Association, 

 which has sent out over a million packages of seeds in six years, will have a special 

 circular concerning seeds ready in January. Send an addressed and stamped en- 

 velope if you are interested. 



Tools for School-Gardens. Director Hemenway, of the Hartford (Conn.) 

 School of Horticulture has made arrangements to put on the market at a-specially 

 low price a set of garden tools of the style and quality found excellent in the 

 Hartford garden. A special descriptive -circular will be sent to those who apply. 



Samples of Weed Seeds. The two hundred students — farmers and farmers' 

 sons — attending the short course in seed-testing at the Ontario Agricultural 

 College, Guelph, Canada, are being provided with a collection of samples of weed 

 seed arranged by Mr. Painter, Manual Training master at the Macdonald Con- 

 solidated School, and Mr. Jackson of the Biological Department. The seeds are 

 those of the twenty-three weeds described in the Weeds Control Act, 1905. 

 They are sent loose in numbered receptacles punched out of cardboard with a 

 wad-punch, covered with glass and backed by a second sheet of cardboard and 

 galvanized iron. The glass cover can easily be removed, but the seeds can be 

 very well studied by means of a lens through the glass. Each receptacle is of 

 such a size that it may be carried in one's pocket. That side of nature-study 

 which concerns itself with the problem of fighting weeds should get an impetus 

 throughout the province when these farmers go back to their homes. Every lad 

 should be able to identify the seeds of our common noxious weeds and every 

 country school should help to this. This plan of arranging the seeds is heartily 

 recommended. Mr. Painter will supply the collection with lists of names on re- 

 ceipt of thirty-five cents. 



Director of Farm Schools. The Board of Estimate and Apportionment in 

 New York City has created the position of Director of Playgrounds and Children's 

 Farm schools, under the Park Department. Mrs. Parsons has been appointed, 

 and this gives official recognition to the work which she has carried on for three 

 years. — New York Times. 



Farmers' Institute and Nature-Study. The State Farmers' Institute of Cali- 

 fornia and the Section of Nature-Study and Agriculture of the California 

 Teachers' Association, held several joint sessions at the December meeting in 

 the buildings of the University of California. The following papers were read: 

 Dr. A. C True, Director Office of Experiment Stations, United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, " Why the friends of Agricultural Progress Believe that 

 Agriculture Should be taught in the Public Schools," ; Dr B M Davis of the 

 Chico Normal School, "School Gardens," Supt. L. D. Harvey, of the 

 Stout Training Schools, Menomonie, Wisconsin, " Experiments in Agricult- 

 ural Education in this and other Countries, What thev should Teach Us," ; 

 John Sweet, of Martinez, "Concerning Some Common Sense Ways of Interest- 

 ing School Children in Nature Studies Relating to Agriculture, Viticulture and 

 Farm Life." 



