920 RuR.'\L School LEAFLEf. 



suggestions for work and play for 3'oung persons on the farm. A little 

 encouragement from older persons will help in this work. 



Dairying. — Each month we shall have some lesson relating to dairy- 

 interests. A number of teachers are making effort to have a Babcock 

 Test machine in thei schools to teach the children how to make the test 

 for fat in milk. All who have read the September issue of the Leaflet will 

 ■know that many rural teachers made effort last year to interest not only 

 their pupils but farmers in the neighborhood, in this test. We wish 

 that each teacher who is able to secure a Babcock Test apparatus, would 

 let us know, since we intend to publish a list of the districts interested 

 in this work. If any teacher would like the apparatus and will send 

 us the name of the trustee, we will ask him to place one in his 

 school. 



This month we publish again the article written by Commissioner 

 Pearson giving instruction for making the Babcock test. From the 

 Dairy Department there is an article written by Prof. Publow on the 

 making of junket ice-cream. Educationally this is a valuable lesson, 

 and at the same time it might furnish a pleasant hour for the school 

 children. The ice-cream might be made by the children for some social 

 function at the school. 



Trees. — Everyone should know the common trees about, and should 

 know something of the uses of these trees. Study along this line will 

 lead to knowledge that will bring both pleasure and profit to the pupil. 

 It will also mean something in the interest of the forestry of America. 



In the October Leaflet we suggested that the children make a study 

 of trees in groups. This is a means to classification which gives organized 

 knowledge. If you have not already placed the trees that belong to 

 the oak family on the board, it might be well to do so now. The chil- 

 dren may not be able to study the trees so readily in leafless condition 

 but if they have the group before them it will help to keep it organized 

 in their minds until spring. The group includes the following trees that 

 the children are likely to find: Oaks, birches, alders, hazelnuts, hophorn 

 beams, beeches and chestnuts. 



During this month we have made suggestions for the study of the cone 

 bearing trees. At Christmas time children are interested in evergreens 

 and they will be glad to study them in school. In every district a study 

 should be made of all the conifers that can be found. Let the children 

 make a complete collection of twigs or small branches of the trees in the 

 neighborhood, and classify them according to the lesson in the Leaflet 

 for boys and girls. It would be well to make a list on the board, of these 

 trees, as follows: Pines, hemlocks, firs, larches, spruces, cedars, junipers, 



