272 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [10:7— Oct., 1914 



the seventh and eighth grades. The work follows the seasonal 

 sequence and is a direct outgrowth of the needs of the community. 



An actual farm of 1 6o acres is selected as the field laboratory for 

 the year's work. The farm is purchased (in theory) at the price of 

 good land in the community. It is layed out and fenced according 

 to good farm management. A rotation of crops for permanent 

 agriculture is planned. Each farm crop is studied at the season 

 most appropriate to the farm activities for this crop. The farm 

 animals needed in the system of agriculture adopted, are studied. 

 Records of all transactions are kept. The farm buildings are 

 planned and constructed. Farm arithmetic is here involved. 



When school opens in September, the agricultural work at once 

 begins to bridge the wide gap, between the free, open-air life of the 

 farm, and the bookish four- wall life of the school. 



The farm selected for the basis of the agricultural work is visited 

 perhaps the second day of school, by the class. Subsequently the 

 pupils are required to make reports upon their home farms, stating 

 the system of farming used, the 'size and shape of the home farm, 

 the surface conditions, general fertility, drainage, water supply, 

 advantages and disadvantages of location, improvements, trees, 

 crops, climate, healthfulness, etc. This method at once makes 

 home and school interests common, and the farm at home has been 

 "dignified" by the attention given to it at school. 



Each pupil is then required to make a map of the farm selected 

 for the year's work — a map showing the "lay-out" as it is now 

 planned. A map, showing fields, woodlots, orchards, gardens, 

 location of buildings, etc., is then required of each pupil's home 

 farm. All these maps, and reports, with subsequent work in 

 agriculture are recorded in a permanent and neat agricultural note- 

 book required of each student. 



Following the study of the home farm from this general outline, a 

 more detailed survey of local farm life and other natural conditions 

 is made, and incidentally an invoice of the child's own stock of 

 information about farm nature-study is brought out. Reports as 

 follows are required of each student in the agriculture class : 



1. Collect samples of the different kind of soils found on the 

 farm and bring them to the school. 



2 . Make a list of all the useful plants growing on the farm. 



3. Make a list of the weeds or useless plants known, growing 

 on the farm. 



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