126 Bird -Lore 



poultry in small quarters let us not give up such practical projects, since we may not 

 only gain from them more real knowledge and serviceable methods than by studying 

 books alone, but may also add much healthful food-material to our family store. The 

 young woman whose experiments in raising chickens in a patent house which accom- 

 modates twelve or fourteen hens, has found a midlnm in parvo (much in little) method 

 of keeping her home table supplied with fresh eggs and poultry, as well as having a sur- 

 plus to dispose of in various ways. 



A neighboring artist reports similar success, and would not care to give up so pleas- 

 ant and profitable a form of home economics as he has discovered in a small flock of 

 poultry. Besides the food value of the project, the chickens are pets for the children 

 and are also used to teach principles of thrift. 



Days of peace, we trust, are coming, but if we wish to make certain of them, we 

 must do all in our power to cultivate habits of thrift and to practice helpful cooperation. 

 Sugar is a very good article upon which to base simple experiments in thrift, for the 

 reason that we have so long been accustomed to use it lavishly. If a few lessons might 

 be devoted to this topic in connection with nature-study work, the result would be a 

 better balanced conception of the whole matter than if only a chance reading or remarks 

 were made with reference to the nature and value of sugar. 



The following outline may suggest a workable method of presenting this important 

 subject in the classroom or in community exercises where parents and home-makers 

 may also be reached. 



SUGAR, ITS NATURE, PREPARATION, USES, AND VALUE 



Vegetable — 



Sugar-cane, sugar-maple, sugar-beet, maize, sorghum, birch, parsnip. 



LESSON I.< 



sugar-pine, Indian honey-bearing reed. 

 Animal — 



Milk-sugar (made from whey), bees' honey. 



Look at pictures of all the sugar-producing plants and trees commonly used for 

 making sugar, and learn to name the most important ones. Learn also to how great an 

 extent sugar in some form is found in vegetables, fruits, and grains. 



Study the sugar-maple, the sugar-cane and sugar-beet more thoroughly, and write 

 notes on the particular qualities of each with reference to the production of sugar. 

 Compare the sugar-maple with other species of maple. 

 Compare the sugar-cane with sorghum and with other species of grasses. 

 Compare the sugar-beet with the mangel-wurzel and other varieties of beets, and 



also with other root-vegetables. 

 Look up the sugar-pine and note where it is found. Make a classroom picture-book 

 of all sugar-producing forms of vegetable life and learn where they grow. How 

 is bees' honey related to vegetable products? Would you classify it as animal or 

 vegetable product, or both? 



LESSON II. 



What part of the tree, plant, grass or vegetable produces sugar? W^hat is the name 



or names of manufactured sugar? 

 Does the amount of sugar-material, such as sap or juice vary at different seasons of 



the year? 

 When is maple-sugar made? 

 When are cane-sugar and beet-sugar made? 

 Study the different processes of manufacturing sugar from vegetable products. 



