19] Graphic Methods in Teaching. 21 1 



over, all observations of natural phenomena should be so 

 recorded that the records themselves may be made the 

 subjects of comparison and study. It is far better to give a 

 child a handful of white beans, and let him make a 

 thorough and exhaustive study of the seeds under varying 

 conditions of temperature, moisture and light than to let 

 him wander aimlessly through the woods and bring home 

 eggs, flowers, stones and insects in a confused and con- 

 fusing collection of unrelated specimens. 



To illustrate this more in detail the following study 

 from the exercises used in the Club may be useful. This 

 study is in the germination of seeds, and the work, while 

 it may require several days of pretty close observation, 

 has proved both instructive and entertaining to pupils of 

 every age. One of the best reports of such a series of 

 observations extending over two weeks was made by a 

 boy only nine years of age. 



One hundred seeds of the following plants were ob- 

 tained: white beans, peas, radish, cabbage and mignonnette, 

 and each kind was carefully counted twice and a record 

 made of the day and hour of the beginning of the work. 

 Ten seeds were then selected from each kind and placed 

 out of doors in a dry place for twenty-four hours, beginning 

 at 7 A. M. A thermometer was placed near them and a 

 record made of the temperature at the start. Fourteen 

 hours later the seeds were examined and an observation 

 taken of the temperature. This was repeated twice in 

 twenty-four hours for three days. In that time the tem- 

 perature fell below freezing twice. The seeds, on ex- 

 amination at the end of the experiment, were apparently 

 unchanged. Plainly a low temperature or a temperature 

 below freezing and above zero (Fahr.) had no effect on 

 the dry seeds. This is a fact observed. A low temper- 

 ature produces no effect on dry seeds. 



The experiment is now repeated under new conditions. 

 The ten seeds of each kind were placed in separate 



