640 



Junior Naturalist Monthly. 



4. One of the chief reasons sparrows are a nuisance on a farm is 

 that they are grain eating birds. What grains have you ever seen them 

 eating ? 



5. Birds are sometimes valuable because they eat the seeds of inju- 

 rious weeds. What weed seeds have you ever seen the English spar- 

 row eat? 



6. Birds are often of value because they eat injurious insects; what 

 insects have you seen the English sparrow eat? Have you noticed them 

 feeding on weeds in public parks? 



Fig. 6. — Studying potatoes. 



Photograph by G. W. Morgan- 



POTATOES AND HOW THEY GROW. 



Every plant is interesting ; the wayside weeds, the house plants, 

 farm crops, everything that grows has a life-story well worth the learn- 

 ing. When you plant a seed in the earth and watch the first leaves 

 come up you have begun a line of study that will give you a great deal 

 of pleasure and profit through the years. In order to obtain certain 

 plants we do not sow seeds. Sometimes we plant a part of the stem 

 which is grown under ground, as in the potato. On this potato you 

 will find buds. Since it is the stem this is what you would expect to 

 find. Take the stems of trees and shrubs about you, and you will see 



