nolan] BREAD FROM STONES 291 



lunch then worked again. I told them we were not to work for a 

 prize but wc would try to have the best work then if we were deserv- 

 ing of a prize we would receive it and if others had better of course 

 thev would get it but we would know that we had done the best 

 we could. The result was we received the second premium on our 

 flowers, beets, beans and barks and the first premium on our sun- 

 flower, insects, seeds, grains, weeds and the ten-dollar prize for the 

 best nature-study exhibit making in all $24.50 for the school. 

 With this money we purchased some large Rochester hanging 

 lamps to light the school building and of course that called for an 

 oil can and some oil, then we bought a nice dictionary rack, etc. 



In the meantime I had been engaged to teach the school again 

 this year so after the fall term opened we decided to have another 

 social to get books such as the older members of the district would 

 enjoy reading also and by so doing help to draw the school and 

 homes nearer together. We invited Rev. E. E. Merring of Homer, 

 who is very enthusiastic over the study of birds and nature herself, 

 to be present and give us a talk on birds, and our district superin- 

 tendent Charles W. Ellis, Jr., of McGraw, was also present and gave 

 us a short talk on the work being carried on, both of which were 

 much appreciated. In connection with the evening's work we had 

 a flower stand, and guessing games. The result ot this social, 

 although a very rainy night, gave us six dollars and ten cents, which 

 added to what was left from our fair money and with the state's aid 

 we have just added fifty-five more volumes to our library. 



Last year we had a bird chart and made a collection of the leaves 

 and flowers of the trees and also had an aquarium in which they 

 placed the frog and toad eggs and watched the development of 

 the same. This year I intend to add a flower and a miscellaneous 

 chart along with the other work. 



Last year, owing to the change in teachers, the Cornell Rural 

 School Leaflets sent were lost and we were unable to get one until 

 after the clay set for "Corn Day," therefore, nothing was done in 

 that line but this year we had exercises and there were nineteen 

 visitors present and the ladies as well as gentlemen gave us some 

 interesting talks on corn and its uses. We sent an ear of corn to 

 Cornell for the Farmers' Week and also sent one of the boxes of our 

 mounted collections on which we received the blue ribbon which 

 pleased the children very much. 



