PLANT LIFE. 83 



The spider has eight legs of usually seven segments, the fly 

 has six of four divisions. The spider's eyes are small, bright, 

 separate, simple specks, two, four, six or eight in number; 

 the fly's eyes are two large compound masses made up of 

 scores of simple eyes. Emerton's " Common Spiders" (Ginn & 

 Co.) is a scientific and attractive treatise. 



Plant Life- — Individual and co-operative cultivation of 

 plants along the lines suggested for the lower class should 

 continue to lead efforts in this subdivision. Both Courses of 

 Study emphasize observation of development. Use the com- 

 parative method. For the advanced classes strong and 

 instructive contrasts are shown in the side-by side develop- 

 ment of oats and peas, or corn and beans, but for the younger 

 pupils and especially rural school juniors, less common and 

 less dissimilar plants are preferable. For the individual garden- 

 plots plants should be selected with a view to easiness of 

 culture, economic value and beauty of flower. Radishes, 

 carrots and tomatoes — asters, salpiglossis and calliopsis — 

 pansy, verbena and mignonette — are a few of the species that 

 can be recommended for the gardens of pupils in this grade. 

 Select a sufficient variety for comparison and maintain interest 

 by the expectation of future reward of flowers or fruit. 



Window Gardening. — In addition to the gardens or in their 

 absence plants may be cultivated in the school-room either on 

 the co-operative or individual plan. A rural school teacher 

 reports success and satisfaction with the following experiment: 



"On the next Monday after I had given an objective lesson to the 

 whole school on the way to fill a flower-pot in order to secure proper 

 drainage and good soil, each one of the seven pupils in my Second Class 

 and six in the Junior Third, at my direction, brought a flower-pot or 

 tin-can and the materials to fill it. I had a packet of garden- balsam 

 seeds and another of dwarf nasturtium ready to be shared equally 

 among them. We took a few minutes and all went outside, the other 

 pupils to act as witnesses, advisers and critics of the planters. We 



