478 Home Nature-Study Course. 



THE MAPLES. 

 LESSON XLVH. 



As the maples give us our most gorgeous coloring they are naturally 

 among the first to attract the children's attention. The mountain, the 

 striped and the sugar maples ripen their seeds in the fall, and the quest 

 of seeds, and the way they are planted beneath the trees may be a part 

 of the interest of the excursions after the leaves. The red and the silver 

 maples mature their seeds in the spring. The dififerent colors of the 

 leaves of the red and sugar maples in the autumn should be observed 

 and the fact that the red maples are the first to lose their leaves. Sugges- 

 tions and information should be given to the children before they go in 

 quest of their maple leaves, that their eyes shall be open to other facts 

 about the maple leaves than the color of the foliage. 



The same plan should be followed as given for the study of the oaks. 

 For this lesson see Cornell Nature-Study Leaflets, p. 428. 



PEACH, PEAR AND PLUM. 

 LESSON XLVHL 



Preliminary Work. — There is little occasion for trying to cultivate the pupil's 

 interest in fruits, because they have one natural interest in them that is all- 

 absorbing. Thus the work should be to widen the pupil's horizon by making him 

 comprehend that these fruits have a special use to the tree, and are for the pur- 

 pose of preserving the plant and seed. Much should be made of the fact that 

 man has developed a greater thickness of pulp in all of these fruits for his own 

 delectation. ■ ■ I ■ j 



In Studying these fruits the object should be to develop in the pupil's 

 mind the idea that these fruits were developed for the sake of the seeds 

 within them. Incidentally the pupils should be told that these fruits grew 

 wild before they were discovered by man, and they should see in each 

 case just how the seed is protected inside the fruit. The seeds should 

 all be planted where the children can see them and the growth of the 

 seedlings watched. 



References. — "Plants and Their Children," Dana, pp. 31-33; for 

 carefully worked out observation lessons see " Nature-Study with Com- 

 mon Things," Carter, pp. 21-33. 



