21] Graphic Methods in Teaching. 



the end of ten days have (more or less of them) sent 

 out tiny shoots and rootlets. Another fact is observed. 

 The young seedlings are white and appear to be unhealthy. 

 It is plain that the darkness has an influence on the germi- 

 nation of the seeds. Twenty-five seeds of each kind are 

 now placed in water or on blotting paper that is kept 

 constantly wet, and the whole is placed in a room at a 

 temperature of 70, and in a light place near a window. 

 Observations are now made three times a day at 7, 3 and 9, 

 to observe the time at which each variety of seed germi- 

 nates and the proportions of those that live and those that 

 fail to grow. A complete record is made of all these facts 

 and from these records it is plain that much real knowledge 

 can be obtained. This may serve to illustrate what is 

 meant by a systematic course of observation as contrasted 

 with the mere recording of observations made during an 

 aimless ramble in the fields. 



This example of a practical scientific study in the ger- 

 mination of seeds has proved of very great value in the 

 training of habits of punctuality, exactitude in seeing and 

 recording facts, in regularity and order in work and in 

 giving opportunity to discover facts of interest directly 

 from nature. The influence of temperature, moisture and 

 light upon living seeds is discovered by the child himself 

 as the result of his experiments and the knowledge gained 

 of real value, because the result of personal research. The 

 number of experiments and series of observations that can 

 be thus planned out for young people is very great. The 

 thing to be sought is some variable phenomena, like the 

 different rates at which seeds germinate, and then to train 

 the child to observe these variations accurately and to 

 report them in such a way that they may use the records 

 for after study. 



We may take, for instance, such common phenomena as 

 the variations in the temperature out of doors, the amount 

 of clouds and the direction of the wind. On the changes 



