1324 



Rural School Leaflet 



whether the .flowers arc solitary, whether the blossom is yellow, whether 

 they find any other colors in these flowers. In what kind of soil do 

 they grow? 



The lady's-slipper, or moccasin flower, is bccominj^ scarce in many 

 places, owing to the carelessness with which it is gathered. It is in con- 

 nection with these rarer blossoms that boys and girls may be taught 

 respect for rights of others, and to guard against the extermination of a 

 species. It may be well to make any observation of these plants in the 

 wood, without gathering the blossoms. Children can easily be taught to 



overcome the desire to gather every 

 flower they see. 



Sweet clover. Pulse family. To this 

 family belong the many forms of 

 clover famihar to the children, and 

 also alfalfa, which has become an 

 important farm crop. Sweet clover 

 is known to all country children, 

 growing as it does along the waysides, 

 and giving pleasure by its fragrance. 

 There are two kinds of sweet clover 

 found in New York State, the large 

 white and the large yellow. 



The children will be interested to 

 notice the blossom stem of the sweet 

 clover, which is at first short ajid 

 packed closely with little green buds, 

 and to watch the stem and the blos- 

 soms as they develop. Which buds 

 open first, those lower down on the 

 stem, or those nearer the tipr It 

 will also be interesting to notice the 

 likeness of the sweet clover blossom 

 to that of the sweet pea. The sweet odor comes from the leaves when 

 drying, and not from the blossoms. The sweet clover is frequently 

 \nsited by honeybees, and beekeepers often plant it in waste places. 



Cabbage. Mustard family, which, among other plants, includes mus- 

 tard, water cress, shepherd's-purse, radish, and turnip. In some schools 

 the children grow cabbage plants in flats to transplant later. This will 

 give opportunity for the teacher to call attention to somic facts that will 

 interest the young gardeners. 



Cabbage and its close relatives, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kale, 

 have all been developed from a wild plant growing on the chalk clifls of 



