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Home Nature-Study Course. 



weeks. The idea is not to take the plant to adulthood but rather to 

 become familiar with its childhood. You must not think this scheme a 

 failure because you find it best to abandon a planting and begin again. 

 It is in the beginning where lies the most important lessons to the children 

 of the ages of your pupils. For quick germination I know of nothing 

 better than peppergrass and radish and to young children this is desirable 

 for the reason that they are impatient for results. Corn, peas and beans 



are desirable as lessons in germination. " How a 

 squash plant gets out of the seed," is one of the best 

 lesi^ons in that particular that I know of. Do not 

 think that you must teach all the points there men- 

 tioned. Remember the capacity of your pupils. 



The plan most popular with the pupils is for each 



to have individual farms and to plant seeds of their 



own choosing. The collection may be placed in a 



shallow box covered with sand. As a privilege, a child may be permitted 



to take his farm to his desk for a short period observation. 



The question of watering plants in pots, vases and boxes is an impor- 

 tant one. It is more wisely performed when done by principle than when 

 done by rule. The amount of evaporation does not go by rule and no 

 rule can be given in applying water. 



Seed Lunches. 



After a child has sown the seed 

 and germination has begun his 

 thought will be the maintenance of 

 life in the plant. To have it decline 

 in vigor and die will be a regret to 

 him. I am wondering whether the 

 fact will bs beyond the comprehen- 

 sion of your first and second 

 grades, that the greatest struggle 

 that an adult plant has is to produce 

 a lunch of starch that will maintain 

 the embryo plant until it has passed 

 out of plant childhood and can make its own living by means of the 

 soil, light and air. Every plant may be said to have an impulse to keep 

 its own kind in continuous existence. I have suggested that you ])lant 

 the seed of peppergrass (a variety of cress) and radish seed in sand; 

 but you must not expect that the seed will develop adult plants, for the 

 reason that sand contains but little avaihiblc plant-fond: yet 1)\- kcej)ing 



A moist soil. 



