NOTES AND ACCOUNTS 41 



ordinary blank book, of convenient size, should be used for a 

 note-book. If it is intended to take the book into the garden, 

 a medium hard pencil, which will not smooch, will be better 

 for writing than ink, which will blot or run. The pencil, 

 especially if it is provided with an eraser, is better for making 

 diagrams and sketches. 



It is not intended that the note-book shall contain what is 

 already printed in the text-book, unless the teacher desires. 

 But the winter's work begins with a number of experiments, 

 each one of which should be carefully recorded. What the 

 experiments prove should also be written. Sketches of 

 apparatus or of seeds or plants will help to make these records 

 clear. Later in the year, when each pupil is working with his 

 own plants indoors, or in his outdoor garden, he should note 

 the date and amount of everything he does, his spading, plant- 

 ing, cultivating, and so forth. With this he should give 

 notes of the weather, whether each day is sunny, cloudy, or 

 rainy, and also of the season, whether early or late, wet or dry. 



These are mostly mere facts, but the gardener should also 

 write down conclusions drawn from facts. His mistakes and 

 his successes, with the things which he has found out for 

 himself, will do as much as anything else to make the note- 

 book worth his while. 



And that it should be worth re-reading, the writing should 

 be well done. I do not mean merely that the pages should 

 be neat and the writing clear, though these are important. 

 More important is it that his ideas should not be jumbled, 

 but should be in good order and expressed in good English. 

 A few extra minutes spent on this will double the value of the 

 note-book. 



This record, so made, will bring the student from the begin- 

 ning to the end of the garden year. Whenever a record is 

 made, the date should be set down. But besides this 



