52 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [ 2 : 2-febkuAry, 1906 



the first year a hot-bed was used, but owing to spring floods the proj- 

 ect was abandoned. Of perennials we have but few yet, a bed of 

 peonies and one of German iris, but we hope to see to this feature of 

 our flower culture next summer. There is a bed of tulips and we 

 have about one hundred and fifty gladioli bulbs. It might be added 

 that during the winter the children grow at their homes quite a 

 quantity of flowers from bulbs, comparing interesting notes on results. 

 What the child grows is his property, but he is responsible throughout 

 the season for the condition of his plot. 



The experimental plots, belonging to the senior class, deserve 

 special notice. Experiments in crop rotation, in the effect of clover 

 growth, and in potato spraying have been carried on, and results 

 carefully noted. Bowesville is the center of the largest potato pro- 

 ducing section in eastern Canada, so particular attention was paid to 

 potato spraying experiments. In addition to the class experimental 

 plots mentioned, three of the oldest pupils carried on an independent 

 experiment in spraying. Care was taken that the crop received 

 neither more nor less attention, other than the spraying, than did the 

 crop in a neighboring field. Rows of potatoes sprayed with Bordeaux 

 mixture were grown beside rows receiving ordinary attention. When 

 the resulting crops were piled side by side in the tool-house, showing 

 an increase equivalent to more than fifty bushels per acre for the 

 sprayed over the unsprayed crops and also a decided improvement 

 in size and quality, the farmers sat up and did more thinking than 

 would have been the case had they read of the same results in some 

 agricultural publication. It is not so much what these plots teach as 

 it is the trend of thought induced. 



Incidentally Bowesville pupils specialize along the line of insect 

 study, particular attention being paid to insects injurious or beneficial 

 to their garden crops. Their interest in this phase of the work does 

 not manifest itself in making collections, although they have many 

 specimens mounted and labelled. Their study of an insect is chiefly 

 from a dynamic standpoint —an attempt to observe exactly what the 

 insect does — and in addition they have worked out complete life- 

 histories of the cecropia, polyphemus and luna moths and of the 

 cabbage and monarch butterflies, having stationary insect cages in the 

 tool-house for this purpose. 



The foregoing is a brief summary of the work carried on at Bowes- 

 ville school ; and now, teacher, are you ready with the common 

 stereotyped question, " Where do you, with an already over-crowded 



