8o6 Rural School Leaflet 



schools prepare exhibits for the county fair and some for the state fair. 

 Many send exhibits to the State College for Farmers' Week. Our request 

 for a Farmers' Week exhibit was responded to with so much enthusiasm 

 that we did not have space for all the material received. We hope this 

 year that there will be an exhibit in all of our rural schools held at the 

 schoolhouse, and that the best specimen from each exhibit will be sent 

 to the State College for Farmers' Week. To each school from which we 

 receive an exhibit, we shall send some kind of appreciation, a certificate 

 or a picture. Additional information regarding the time and method of 

 sending exhibits to the College will be published in the children's leaflet 

 for November. This will afford ample time for the preparation of a 

 good piece of work before Farmers' Week in February. 



One of the largest exhibits sent to the College of Agriculture during 

 Farmers' Week was from Tompkins county. We have asked Mr. J. D. 

 Bigelow, the superintendent of schools in the district from which it was 

 received, to state briefly his methods of interesting teachers and pupils 

 in the work. His statements are as follows: 



" When I received the letter asking for an exhibit of evergreens, cones, 

 twigs of various kinds, weeds, and the like, I wrote to the teachers of six 

 schools then in session. I enclosed the letter and asked to have the col- 

 lection made. 



" Some teachers responded cheerfully with offers to do what they could, 

 but were afraid they would not do very well. Other teachers felt that 

 they already had so much to do that they would not have time to devote 

 to the work. Others felt this work was a great burden. They did not 

 know how to do the mounting and somehow it seemed like a heavy load. 



" After a short time, I wrote again and stated how the work of collecting 

 the specimens might be given to pupils, and added that if they would 

 make the collections I would go to their schools and help in mounting 

 them. Of course they all were glad for this help and commenced making 

 the collections. At the time appointed I went to the different schools. 

 On request I took material for mounting the specimens. When I arrived, 

 I found specimens enough collected to keep the pupils busy for a long 

 time. This was true in every school but one, of which I shall speak later. 

 I asked for five or six pupils to do the work. I helped trim the specimens 

 and showed how to mount one or two, and then started the pupils in the 

 work. 



" In some instances the specimens were all mounted before the day was 

 over. I then asked how many wanted to go out into the fields or woods 

 for more things to add to the collection. There was always a ready 

 response to this question. I shall long remember the occasion when, one 

 stinging cold day, five sturdy boys and I started over the crusted snow 



