Addiliunal Papers. 307 



APPLES, GREEN AND RIPE. 



Nature Lesson in Ilartieiilliirc for (irades 3 ajid 4. 



This is an apple. It is reel, but some apples are yellow and some are 

 brown. Boys like big- red apples best of all. All apples have the same 

 color before they are ripe. Can you tell what color they have? Apples 

 grow out of sweet little blossoms. Did you ever think when you look 

 ill the pretty blossoms on an apple tree that a little green apple is in 

 cvi r\ liloom ? It is hidden away in the flower so nicely that you must look 

 very closely to find it. 



The cold, frost or hard rain may kill the little apples, but honey bees 

 may step on them, when getting the sweets from the blossoms, but do not 

 harm them. Can you find what is called the blossom end of an apple? 

 Find also the stem end. The stem holds the apple to the twig. The twig 

 holds the stem to the branch. The branch holds the twig to the trunk. 

 The trunk holds the branches to the roots, which furnishes the tree food, 

 and the roots hold the trunk to the ground so the wind cannot blow it 

 awa}'. 



An ajjple tree that is full of blossoms is a pretty sight, but all boys 

 and girls are glad to see a tree full of rii)e a])ples. Would you like to, 

 climb into such a tree and shake down the fruit? If }'0u would, \ou must 

 plant llie tree and care for it until it is as old as you are when }ou begin 

 to go to school. 



This red apple is good for food, for it is ri[)€. It is a sour apple, 

 but some apples are sweet. Boys and girls like sweet apples best of all. 

 Cattle like apples so well that they often swallow them without chewing 

 and choke on them. 



Alother bakes apples for breakfast. She sometimes makes apple 

 pies for dinner, but apple butter and api)le sauce are eaten at any meal. 

 We can kee]) some kinds of apples all winter, if we do not let them get 

 too warm or cold. They are then called winter a[)ples. Those apples 

 that ri])en in the summer are called summer apples. Those apples that 

 ripen in the fall are called fall apples. Peo])le raise more winter apples 

 than any other kind. Of all fruits grown in Missouri the apple is king-, 

 yet the tree grows from one of these little seeds. 



Suggestions : The teacher should have on the table three or more 

 varieties of apples, some apple seeds, and a small apple tree with roots 

 and branches attached. Any tree similar to an apple tree will do. She 

 should then point out to the class the parts of the apple and the tree. The 

 pupils should learn these parts by sight, should spell the words in heavy 



