Rural School Leaflet 



943 



Are you sure there is a locust tree in your neighborhood? If you have 

 never seen one and have never heard of one, ask some farmer whether he 

 has ever seen one. If you find that you have locust trees for study note 

 the following: 



What is the shape of the tree? 



Where does it grow — along the roadside, in the garden, or in the wood ? 



How long do the pods stay on the tree? 



How many seeds do you find in a pod? 



Watch for the leaves in spring. 



Watch for the blossoms. 



Have you ever known a locust tree in your neighborhood to become 

 diseased and die? This tree was doubtless attacked by an enemy, the 

 locust borer, which is very difficult to destroy. The forester tells us that 

 the only thing to do when locust borers get into the trees is to cut the 

 trees down and bum them. 



LETTER TO BOYS AND GIRLS 



EAR Boys and Girls: 



It is good to be writing to you all again after so 

 long a time. Some of us are old friends for we 

 wrote to each other last year. But one and all, 

 old friends and new, we are going to take hold this 

 year and come to know each other better. We shall do 

 this by finding something in which we are interested. 

 The long summer holidays are over and you have been 

 back in school for a number of weeks. Did you like to 

 go back? I know of some that did, for they have already 

 written and told me so. I am not so sure of others. 

 I wonder whether, when a boy or girl doesn't like to go to 

 school, the trouble is with the school or with the boy or 

 girl. I wonder whether, if we took some spirit and in- 

 terest to school with us, we should find that we liked 

 school better. Have you proved this in your own experience? 



I have been thinking a good deal lately about my young friends living 

 in every part of this great State. I am glad that your homes are in the 

 country for that is the finest place for boys and girls. Perhaps not all of 

 you expect to stay there always but many of you do, and I hope that you 

 will think twice before you leave it. At the present time farming offers 

 as great an opportunity as does any line of work. It takes as much ability 

 and education to be a .successful farmer as it does to be a successful lawyer 

 or engineer. The farmer must have knowledge of the out-of-doors and 



