x TO THE TEACHER 



his region. It is not necessary tha'; the chapters be taken in 

 succession as they occur. For northern schools opening in the 

 late summer, the corn chapter undoubtedly will be best for 

 a beginning. The potato chapter should be taken up before 

 the crop is harvested if possible. It may be referred to 

 again at planting time in the spring. The. garden chapters 

 should be studied during the late winter or early spring, 

 and again referred to as the planting, spraying or tillage is 

 under consideration. The teacher need not be afraid even 

 to divide a chapter, using a part at two or more different 

 seasons if this seems best. For example, the field study of 

 corn should be started in the fall with the ripening crop, 

 but the testing and grading of seed corn should be reserved 

 for winter and early spring study. 



The greater part of the study of farm animals can be 

 successfully carried on during the winter, though certain of 

 the features should be taken up in the fall or spring. Some 

 of the work on soils can also be utilized for winter study. 

 Actual field study and demonstrations will, of course, be 

 carried on when the ground is not frozen. The great point 

 is to base the lessons on the immediate activities of the 

 farm during just as much of the year as possible, making 

 the assignments from the text conform to the seasonal or- 

 der of the locality. 



9. Reference Material 



Every school where agriculture is taught should be 

 stocked with a number of standard texts on each of the 

 divisions of the subject. The library should contain a 

 standard cyclopedia of agriculture. It is also desirable to 

 have the Agricultural Year Book of the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, a complete classified file of farm- 

 ers' and station bulletins, and the Census Reports that deal 

 with the subject of agriculture. Arrangements can also be 

 made for the receipt of the current crop reports. 



