TO THE TEACHER v 



regular farm machinery, cream separators, fanning mills, 

 etc., will be of great value in the teaching of the various 

 subjects of agriculture. 



6. Laboratory Material 



A great deal of the material for instruction can be ob- 

 tained as needed from the homes, and adjoining farms and 

 fields. It is not possible, however, to make the course in 

 agriculture follow the seasons exactly, and some material 

 therefore needs to be stored for class use. Other material 

 may not be easily found when required. Samples of still 

 other products may not be available in the region, and 

 should be kept for comparison. 



Samples of soils. Samples of all the different va- 

 rieties of soils to be found in the region should be collected 

 and kept in laboratory bottles, jars or common fruit jars. 

 These samples should include soils rich in humus, clays, 

 sands, lava, and soils in which organic matter is lacking. 

 Each sample should be labeled, telling the type represented 

 and where obtained. 



Specimens of cereal plants and grains. Samples of 

 all the common cereal grains, including the different local 

 varieties, should be collected and stored in wide-mouthed 

 bottles. These will serve for comparison with samples 

 brought by the pupils from their farm crops. Specimens 

 of the cereal plants should also be collected and stored 

 when the crop is ripening. This will allow the class to 

 study the different types and varieties of wheat, oats, etc., 

 and to identify each from the plant, even if the study can 

 not be taken up when the crops are available in the fields. 

 It is also desirable to make a collection of types or varieties 

 not common to the region and use them for comparison. 

 The state agricultural college can usually help in securing 

 such a collection. 



