136 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [11:3— Max., 1915 



II. The Returning Life of Spring. 

 Birds. 



1 . Calendar. 



2. Changes in bird activities as the season advances. 



3. Special study of the birds of the dooryards and shade trees of 



Mankato; such as blue jay, English sparrow, robin, bluebird, 

 chipping sparrow, house wren, Baltimore oriole, yellow warbler. 



4. Building nesting houses for the wrens. 



5. Fountains for drinking and bathing. 



6. Formation of Audubon Bird Club; meetings during term. 

 Problems — 



What changes do you notice in bird activities as the season advances? 



Is the English sparrow a nuisance or of value to us? 



Of what use is the robin to us? 



How is the oriole fitted for its life in the air and among the trees? 



How can you tell the yellow warbler from the goldfinch? 



What kind of a house shall we make so as to get a pair of wrens to 



nest in it? 

 How can we provide water for the birds during the summer? 

 Why would you like to form a bird club ? 



III. Gardening. Main topic; hardy annual flowers, and vegetables whose 

 roots are eaten. 



1. Schoolroom gardening. 



A. Early in the season plant indoors a few flower seeds and 



vegetable seeds from the lists given below under the 

 school garden, so that later the seedlings may be trans- 

 planted in the home or school gardens. 



B. How plants use water (to be answered by experiments.) 



a. Taken by root. 



b. Passed thru stem. 



c. Given off thru leaf. 



C. Difference in the way the seedlings of corn and bean come 



thru the ground. 

 Problems — 



How can we have early flowers and vegetables in our gardens? 

 What use do plants make of water? 



2. The school garden. 



A. Plant seeds of some of the hardy annual flowers, such as 



sweet alyssum, bachelor's button, calliopsis, candytuft, 

 nasturtium, California poppy, petunia, sunflower, 

 zinnia. 



B. Plant seeds of some of the vegetables whose roots are eaten, 



such as beet, carrot, celeriac, kohlrabi, oyster plant, 

 parsnip, turnip. 



3. Home gardens. 



A. Distribute Cleveland order envelopes for penny packets of 

 seeds. 



