CHAPTER XIV 



LABORATORY PRACTICE 



The laboratory practice is an essential part of the work in Soils 

 and Fertilizers as the experiments illustrate many of the funda- 

 mental principles of the subject. The student should endeavor to 

 cultivate his powers of observation so as to grasp the principles in- 

 volved in the work rather than to do it in a mere mechanical or 

 perfunctory way. Neatness is one of the essentials for success in 

 laboratory practice ; an experiment performed in a slovenly way is 

 of but little value. 



A careful and systematic record of the laboratory work should be 

 kept by the student in a suitable note-book. In recording the re- 

 sults of an experiment the student should give in a clear and con- 

 cise form the following : 



1 i ) Title of the experiment. 



(2) How the experiment is performed. 



(3) What was observed. 



(4) What the experiment proves. 



The note-book should be a complete record of the student's in- 

 dividual work, and should be written up at the time the experi- 

 ments are performed. 



The student is advised to review at the time the experiments are 

 performed those topics presented in the text which have a bearing 

 upon the experiments, so that a clearer conception can be gained 

 of the relationship between the laboratory work and that of the 

 class room. 



Students who have had but little laboratory practice are advised 

 to study the chapters on Laboratory Manipulation, and Water and 

 Dry Matter, given in " The Chemistry of Plant and Animal Life." 



Some of the pieces of apparatus are loaned to the student when 

 needed to perform the experiment ; for this apparatus a receipt is 

 taken, and the student is credited with the apparatus when it is 

 returned. The following are supplied to each student : 



