vinal] MECHANICAL AIDS IN NATURE-STUDY 69 



12. Primula: Obconica and Chinese. Sow seeds in spring, 

 blossom by December. 



III. Wild flowers suitable for sun or shade. 



i . Jack-in- the-pulpit. Bulbs or corms taken up in fall, potted, 

 placed in window, bloom by Christmas. 



2. Mullein: common weed in America. Ornamental plant in 

 England, called American velvet plant. 



3. Columbine, violet, taken up in fall, bloom during winter. 

 If wild plants are frozen once, bloom better. 



4. Evergreen plants: beautiful window box. Juniper, cedars, 

 pine, arbor vita?, cypress. Use young plants. 



IV. Plants growing in a weak light {corners of rooms, halls, etc.) 



1. Rubber plants. When frozen, cut back until white sap 

 appears. Keep end bandaged until healed. 



2. Aspidistra, "Iron plant." 



3. Palms. 



V. Bidbs. 



Bloom from Christmas until Easter. 



Plant in early fall, put in cool dark place (corner in cellar or 

 trench in ground), cover with soil ; remain there 6 to 10 weeks, then 

 bring to light. 



Suitable varieties: Daffodils, tulips, Roman hyacinths, 

 narcissus, crocuses, jonquils. 



For growing in pebbles and water: Chinese lilies, paper white 

 narcissus. 



VI. Soil. 



From woods if possible, or a mixture of common soil, loam and 

 leaf mold. 



4. Seeds. 



Mounting seeds for class use is well described in Farmers' 

 Bulletin 58c . 



I usually save old paper bags to take in my pocket when out in 

 the fields. One is thus always equipped to gather seeds, etc., 

 which he may wish for class work. 



5. Trees. 



a. Cross section of a large tree. This is important to show the 

 time that it has taken our large trees to grow. Important histori- 

 cal dates of the vicinity may be pinned onto the section to show 

 the size of the tree at corresponding times. This makes an 

 interesting correlated lesson. 



