Cornell Study Clubs 1221 



Insect study 



Spring work against insect enemies consists largely of preventive 

 measures; and if that part of the work is neglected the result is likely 

 to be very evident at a late season, for some of these pests rear two broods 

 and a few are said to be triple-brooded. Ants are as busy and as inter- 

 esting to study as they were when wise Solomon used them to point a 

 moral against idleness. If bvimblebees' nests are plenty in the clover field, 

 the crop of clover seed is likely to be heavy and profitable. It is interesting 

 to note that the United States sent bumblebees to the Philippine Islands 

 when trving the experiment of introducing the clover plant there. 



Seed study and selection 



Farm work would lose a large part of its drudgery if the eyes were kept 

 open for the discoveries that may come to one who is interested in Nature 

 and her ways. If when gathering a load of sweet com for the market a 

 particularly fine and prolific plant is found, the ears from that plant should 

 not be picked, but should be marked and carefiilly kept for seed in the hope 

 that its progeny may inherit its superiority. Perhaps one of the rare 

 " seed balls " may be noticed when spraying the potato field: if so, it 

 should be kept from harm and carefully allowed to ripen, for it may be the 

 progenitor of new varieties of great value; the plant on which it grew 

 should be studied well and the amount and quality of its yield recorded, 

 as a promise of the future capabilities of its descendants. Some of the 

 best varieties of wheat, rye, and other grains have been produced by 

 observant farmers who selected plants that showed great superiority to 

 their kind and preserved their seed, to the improvement and increase of 

 the harvests of many men. 



Study the weed seeds, too, and their manner of traveling about the world 

 in spite of all attempted prevention. With such weeds as are annuals and 

 biennials, it is only necessary to prevent seed formation in order to destroy 

 them utterly ; a knowledge of their habits will help to show the best means 

 for their extennination. 



Budding and summer pruning 

 The making over of one kind of tree into another is such a seeming 

 miracle that it cannot fail to be interesting to any intelligent boy or girl. 

 Young fingers are often exceeflir.gly deft, and when once the knack of placing 

 a shield so that the cambiuir. 'a>ers of scion and stock exactly match is 

 learned by boys or girls, they may become very efficient help in a nursery. 

 The proper time for "pinching hack " and for removing the old canes in the 

 blackberry and raspberry patches, the necessity of occasional summer 



