1090 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Annual report Winnebago County schools, 1907, O. J. Keen (Rock ford, 

 III., nxn, piK 'JO, fills. I on. (Igm-s. '/). — This report deals not only with the work 

 of the superintendent diuMng the past year in the scliools of Winnebago County, 

 111., but also with numerous suggestions for improving the schools. 



In the first chapter, " What to do and how to do it," the writer gives numerous 

 suggestions for beautifying school grounds. He shows illustrations of school 

 buildings with uuimproA-ed surroundings and gives planting plans drawn to 

 scale for the improvement of the grounds. There are four such plans, each rep- 

 resenting a different type of schoolhouse and school grounds, and hence a 

 different in'ohlem. In a chapter on " Some things done and otherwise," reports 

 of progress from different teachers are given. Chapter 3 is taken up with indus- 

 trial education, an educational campaign in behalf of trees, the education ex- 

 cursion to the Illinois College of Agriculture, and the work of the Winnebago 

 County boys' and girls' clubs. Other chapters deal with libraries, school-room 

 decoration, patriotism in the public schools, the Country School Teachers* 

 Association of Illinois, statistics, points of school law, and consolidation. The 

 John Swaney Consolidated School in Putnam County, 111., is described at con- 

 siderable length. This school includes in its course of study 3 courses in 

 agronomy, 2 in animal husbandry. 1 in horticulture, 3 years of household 

 science, and 1 year of manual training, all of which are elective. 



Some experiments in elementary a'griculture for the Auckland public 

 schools (Education: Maiutal (iiid Technical J iixtruction. WcUiiKjton, Xew 

 Zeal.: Gov't, 1901, pp. 56-64). — These are simple school experiments intended to 

 aid teachers in giving instruction in elementary agriculture. It is recommended 

 that 1 hour a week be devoted to this work, giving one-third of the time to 

 indoor experiments with plants, one-third to outdoor experiments with plants, 

 and one-third to experiments with soils or milk or other phases of agriculture. 

 Twelve exercises relating to germination are given for indoor work during the 

 first year, and 12 exercises dealing with seedlings for the second year's work. 

 The outdoor experiments are to be conducted in the school garden, and relate 

 to tillage, manures, commercial fertilizers, and the cultivation of particular 

 crops, such as potatoes. Ten experiments with soils are outlined, and 11 with 

 millv. Lists of apparatus and material necessary for these exercises are given. 



Experiments in nature study for teachers in the Wellington education 

 district (Education: Manual and Technical Instruction. Wellington, New 

 Zeal.: Gov't, 1907, pp. 64-69). — A large number of simple experiments relating 

 to the following toitics are given : Composition of air and water, experiments 

 with hydrogen, ammonia, starch and sugar, germinating seeds, roots, stems, 

 leaves, flowers, and fruits. 



Beautifying school grounds, W. A. Henky (Wis. Jour. Ed., .'/O (1908), No. 

 1, pp. D, 10). — Suggestions for tree and shrub nurseries in connection with 

 comity normal training schools. 



Domestic science, its growth and influence, Hettie M. Anthony (Trans. 

 III. Hort. 8oc., n. ser., J,0 (1906), pp. I'l'i-loO). — This is a paper on the introduc- 

 tion, growth, and influence of instruction in domestic science presented at the 

 annual convention of the Illinois State Horticultural Society held at the Univer- 

 sity of Illinois, December 12-14, 190G. 



Home nature-study course, Anna B. Com stock and J. W. Spencer (Home 

 yaturc-Studu Course [Cornell Univ., State Col. Agr.], n. ser., .', (190S), No. 3, 

 pp. 24, figs. 9). — Suggestions are given for winter work of third-year pupils as 

 outlined in the Syllabus of Nature Study and Agriculture, issued by the New 

 York State Education Department. There are 2 lessons on the raccoon, 3 on 

 the downy woodpecker, 1 on the hairy woodpecker, 3 on snakes, including the 

 carter or garden, milk, and common or banded water snakes, 3 on the onion, 1 



