94 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



dry. The first day or two they should be changed to dry sheets, 

 two or three times each day, then once a day will do. 



Then, when dry, fasten them upon the sheets which you wish 

 to keep by pasting little strips of paper across them. In some 

 cases you can paste the plant itself on and with some large speci- 

 mens, you can take a few stitches with a needle and thread right 

 in the axil of a leaf. Then down in the right hand corner of the 

 sheet write genus, species, time, place, color, etc. 



When you are making botanical excursions on purpose for 

 flowers, it is well to have a closed tin botany can or box in which 

 to carry your specimens and a strong, sharp knife. Also, if not 

 too much trouble to carry, a portfolio or book in which you can 

 lay the most delicate flowers. But, to study plants on the farm, 

 do not confine yourselves to the wild flowers. Study everything 

 about you from the grasses to the corn, from the strawberry 

 blossom to the mellons. When you are sent to weed the straw- 

 berry bed or kill the squashbugs, do not call it drudgery, but keep 

 your eyes open. Notice the two kinds of blossoms, the pistillate 

 and staminate. See how busily the bees are doing a two-fold 

 work, not only in securing food for themselves but fertilizing the 

 blossoms by carrying the pollen from one flower to another. — you 

 cannot study flowers long without becoming interested in the 

 insects. For they are very dependent upon each other. It is a 

 wonderful study to see how different flowers employ different 

 methods of attracting the insects best adapted to pollinate their 

 blossoms. And you cannot study the insects without becoming 

 interested in the birds. So that everywhere new fields of delight- 

 ful study are open to the country boy and girl. 



You can learn much from experience without books, but you 

 can advance faster and with more interest by having good refer- 

 ence books to help you out occasionally. In the past few years 

 a wonderful interest has been manifested all over the country in 

 these nature studies. They are being taught in our public 

 schools, and many books are being published as helps, but how- 

 ever much a child may be told, and if he has a whole library for 

 reference it will do him no good, unless he can learn to think and 

 observe for himself ; with a sincere love and interest in nature. 



If we can teach these girls and boys to love nature, they will 

 not only have a sweeter and happier childhood but they will grow 

 up to be wiser and better men and women. Those who remain on 



