178 Lessons in Nature Study. 



Here is Mr. Jones' farm. What has he planted in this 

 field ? What is growing in that field ? How many acres 

 are there in this field ? Charlie may find out how many 

 acres and how many bushels of corn, oats, or wheat Mr. 

 Jones expects to get. That would be how many bushels to 

 the acre ? What kind of soil is this ? Is sandy soil as wet 

 as clayey soil ? What crops grow best on loose sandy loam ? 

 On heavy clay soil ? 



Here is a hill or knoll. Let us see if the corn grows bet- 

 ter on one side than another. On which side is the best 

 corn ? Why ? What kind of weather is best for corn ? 



Obtain direct answers where possible, and require pupils 

 to find out when ready answers are not forthcoming. These 

 questions will arouse Mr. Jones, and he will see that the 

 children are inquiring after practical things. 



Here is a haystack. Let us see how large it is. How 

 many tons of hay does it contain ? How long will it feed 

 the stock ? When was this hay cut ? What fodder plants 

 are in it ? Timothy, blue-grass, red and white clover, etc. 



Let us now go down into the meadow. Why does Mr. 

 Jones not cultivate the meadow ? Why does he prefer the 

 meadow for pasture ? Yes, it is too wet to cultivate, and 

 there is a brook where the cows can drink. 



Where does this brook rise ? In what direction does it 

 flow ? Into what does it empty ? Why does it bend here ? 

 What makes it run faster there ? Let us make a bridge out 

 of this log. Now suppose we were to play that the other 

 side of the brook went farther and farther away until it got 

 over yonder by the woods, what would we call it? Yes, it 

 would not be a brook then, but a river. How many of you 

 ever saw a river ? What river was it ? 



Sometimes rivers are very wide, so wide that you cannot 

 see across them. Why does this brook flow this way and 

 not that ? Why does it not run over its banks ? In what 

 season is the brook highest ? Why ? Lowest ? Why ? 



Let us walk up to the brook. Does it grow larger or 

 smaller ? Why ? 



