Rural School Leaflet, 88i 



While the lessons in agriculture in this Leaflet should be given as regular 

 lessons, nature-study lessons for the younger children ought to be as 

 free as possible. Man}^ young persons dislike nature-study because when 

 they were very young they were forced to acquire a great many facts for 

 which their minds were not ready and in which they had no interest. 

 The interest of the teacher and suggestions now and then from her, will 

 probably lead to better results than a set lesson every day. 



Following are a few children's letters that are pleasing to us. They 

 show that the children have really touched some things in country life; 

 that they were interested enough to write to the University about these 

 things; and that the teacher gave them freedom in expressing themselves. 

 The children in the rural schools might be interested to hear these letters, 

 and they may be suggestive to them in their writing. 



Feb. 28, 'c8 

 Dear Uncle John: 



This morning when I built the fire at the schoolhouse I saw a big blue- 

 jay and a smaller one. When I cut the kindling there were four chicka- 

 dees and two nuthatches around the door. We scatter crumbs for the 

 chickadees around the door. In the morning while I build the fire the 

 chickadees set on the steps and sing. 



The buds on the trees are beginning to grow larger now. I would 

 like to know what the crows eat in the winter time. Last Saturday my 

 brother and I went down into the woods to chop with my father. We 

 chopped down an old basswood tree and it was hollow. There were 

 six flying squirrels in it. We tried to catch one but we could not get it. 

 They would go up to the top of a tree and then soar off into another 

 hollow tree. They have a flat tail and are not very big, and have a 

 white breast. Yours truly, 



Rollin 

 Dear Uncle John: 



As I was cutting wood in the woods through a week of vacation I 

 found that the chickadees are the tamest of all woodland birds. 



We cut a tree and the top of it was all decayed. When it fell the 

 decayed part was all broken to pieces. 



The chickadees found it and was soon on the log. We sawed up the 

 tree till we got to the decayed part. The chickadees were eating the 

 small wood ants. The chickadees that were on the log kept making a 

 noise, which I supposed was calling the other chickadees as they still 

 kept coming, till there was a great many come, and they soon had all 

 the ants there was in sight eaten as I did not see anything more of them 

 I will close. Yours truly, 



Frank 



