An Effort to Help the Farmer. 257 



Following is a sample letter to a teacher : 



Egg-shell farming is a very fascinating method of interesting lower-grade 

 pupils in plant life. Egg-shells from the breakfast table are available for 

 the purpose. If broken well towards the small or taper end of the egg, 

 greater capacity for earth and root-growth will be afforded. A small hole 

 should be made in the bottom of the shell, for drainage. Potting-earth 

 from the florist's will probably be the most available source of supply for 

 schools in densely populated districts. Whenever practicable, field excur- 

 sions for such a supply will add much to the interest of the pupils, and the 

 opportunity^ for observation can be made of great value as well. Any bit of 

 woods or thicket, where the wind has for years driven the leaves and left 

 them to rot, gives good material for this piirpose. Rotted leaves mixed 

 with soil should be chosen, and not rotted leaves alone. We suggest that 

 the child be instructed to fill the shells with soil and plant the seeds, for the 

 more he does in the undertaking the greater will be his interest. He 

 should be made to understand that the shells he fills and plants are his 

 farms, and he must write his name on them for identification. After being 

 filled, planted and labelled, the shells can be massed in a window-seat for 

 watering and light. They can be distributed to the desks of the owners for 

 study and admiration whenever the teacher desires. The spirit of emula- 

 tion for best results in plant growth can be engendered among all the egg- 

 shell farmers. The question of the number of shells that shall be allotted 

 to each pupil can be left to the discretion of the teacher. The variety of 

 seeds that can be sown to advantage is very general, but if the teacher feels 

 the need of aid in the undertaking, we suggesi that squash seed be planted 

 and that our Leaflet No. r ( "How a squash plant gets out of the seed" )be con- 

 sulted. The fact that the capacity of the egg-shell will not take the plant 

 to maturity need not be deplored. Children like change, and the life-his- 

 tory of nearly all plants covers a period too long for maintaining a juvenile 

 interest on a high key. It is better to have change and to carry on the 

 study by sections. Logical connection is more practical in the higher 



grades. 



If for any reason you are disinclined to take up any feature of nature- 

 study, and you have some pupils who have such a desire, we will appreciate 

 the courtesy if you place us in communication with them for corre- 

 spondence. 



Home-making, — Some of these leaflets are designed to appeal 

 to the home as well as to the school. It is the attractive and 

 happy rural home which first and chiefly interests the child in 

 rural life. A neat lawn or a flower-bed is more likely to influence 

 the child to love country life than a good field of potatoes is. 

 Predilections are formed earlier than we are aware. Mone)^ 

 considerations do not appeal strongly to the child. He must be 



