1202 Rural School Leaflet 



2. Have the children learn the following stanza from " The Pumpkin," 

 by John Greenleaf Whittier: 



" O, — fruit loved of boyhood! The old days recalling 

 When wood grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling I 

 When wild, ugly faces were carved in its skin 

 Glaring out through the dark with a candle within/ 

 When we laughed round the corn-heap with hearts all in tune, 

 Our chair a broad pumpkin, — our lantern the moon, 

 Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam 

 In a pumpkin-shell coach with two rats for her team." 



3. Send the children on a quest to find out how long pumpkins and 

 squashes have been cultivated in this country. 



4. Have brought to school as many kinds or shapes of pumpkins and 

 squashes as can be found in the neighborhood. This will make a simple 

 exhibit and give material for many lines of school work. 



5. What kind of stem does the pumpkin have? How does the stem 

 differ from that of the Hubbard squash? 



6. Look at the blossom end of the pumpkin and at that of the Hubbard 

 squash. How do they differ? 



7. How do the pumpkin and the Hubbard squash differ in shape? 



8. Can you see any difference in the seeds of the pumpkin and the 

 Hubbard squash? 



Observations of the pumpkin as to veining, color, and the like, should 

 be encouraged. Have the boys and girls try to find out when the pump- 

 kin flower closes. Have them locate the seeds in a young pumpkin. 

 Discuss the pumpkin and Thanksgiving Day; the pumpkin and Hal- 

 lowe'en. 



Vetch. — The vetch belongs to the same family as do the clovers, beans, 

 peas, and certain other plants. The plants are mostly climbing, have 

 pinnate leaves, and bear their seeds in pods. The flowers are blue, violet, 

 or sometimes yellowish white. 



In this country the vetches are important as cover-crops for orchards 

 and as forage crops. There are two varieties with which boys and girls 

 may be familiar, the spring vetch and the hairy vetch. Whenever possible 

 observations should be made on the climbing habit of these plants; the 

 pinnate leaves; the pods; the purplish flowers of the spring vetch, borne 

 two in each axil; the violet-blue flowers of the hairy vetch, borne in long, 

 one-sided axillary racemes; the hairy-covered pods of the hairy vetch 

 and the smooth pods of the spring vetch ; the difference in the length and 

 shape of pods of the two varieties. 



Celery. — If celery is grown in the neighborhood it may be used for 

 an interesting lesson that will lead to observations on cultural methods, 

 quality, and the like. 



Celery belongs to the same family as do wild carrot, poison hemlock, 

 carrot, and parsley. 



