86o Rural School Leaflet. 



year. If these children did their part in the study of and the destruc- 

 tion of weeds it would make a good beginning toward lessening one of 

 the trials of country life. If they find weeds that are not mentioned 

 in the lesson we shall be glad to identify all they send to us. 



Soils. — We are now publishing the first of a series of lessons on soils. 

 This subject is of great importance in the study of agriculture. We 

 hope to have the series scientific but simple and that at the end of the 

 school year the children will have fundamental knowledge of soils that 

 they can utilize through the coming years. It will be well for the teacher 

 to read the lesson carefully and give some thought to the subject before 

 presenting it to the class. 



In addition to the subject matter taken up in this first lesson on soils, 

 we wish that every teacher in the rural schools, as well as in village 

 schools, during the month of October, would make as complete a 

 collection of soils as possible. If a few Mason's fruit jars are procured 

 the soils can be kept in them and used through the winter in some of 

 the subsequent lessons. Perhaps the boys will put up a neat shelf in 

 one comer of the schoolroom for this collection of soils. The jars 

 should be labeled with the name of the collector, where the soil was 

 obtained, and other facts that will be useful when the material is studied. 

 If this work is neglected at the beginning of the year it may be 

 impossible to get samples of the soils after the ground is frozen. 



Poultry. — Professor Rice gave a number of articles on poultry last 

 year and will continue the series during the coming months. Autumn 

 is a good time to make a collection of feathers and to begin to get some 

 knowledge of them. Encourage the children to make this collection. 

 If possible, visit a poultry yard with them before giving the lesson. 



Fungi. — Very frequently teachers and children write letters to us asking 

 •for information about the different kinds of fungi which they find along 

 waysides and in the woods. We want to help these teachers to know 

 something of this subject. The lesson given this month is introductory 

 to the study of plant diseases, and if properly given will help children to 

 a fundamental knowledge of the growth of a fungus. We hope every 

 child will give some thought to the subject. 



Forestry. — Many teachers are beginning to take an interest in forestr}^ 

 We are planning this year to have some simple lessons along this line 

 for children in the grades. It is particularly important for the farm 

 boy to begin to think about forest conditions. Perhaps some teachers 

 who read this Leaflet may not know much about forests in America 

 and will be glad to learn something of its importance. Mr. Herbert A. 

 Smith of the United States Department of Agriculture believes that 



