282 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
(2) The need for stimulus of contact with objects outside the laboratory, hence 
the biological, and in a narrower sense agricultural, bias; these supply the means 
whereby the knowledge and method taught indoors might be applied. The grounds 
and gardens of the school are therefore treated as an outdoor laboratory in which 
a variety of interesting experiments may be carried out. 
(3) Throughout the course individual experimental work is demanded, wherever 
feasible, in the hope that this will strengthen initiative, self-reliance, etc., in the pupil. 
Form Ii.—Boys and Girls. Average age, 11. 
A. An Introduction to Gardening. Hours per week, 14. 
Simple seasonal activities, e.g. (a) seed-sowing—transplanting seedlings ; 
(b) cuttings—various; (c) planting bulbs; (d) saving of seed. 
Care of small area of ground for (e) raising plants from seed—annuals, etc. ; 
(f) wild garden—weeds. 
Form II.—Boys only. 
B. Gardening (working in pairs on plots of 100 sq. yds.). Hours per week, 14. 
Rotation: (a) potatoes ; (b) beet and carrot; (c) cabbage, garden swede ; 
(d) green manure. 
Use and care of tools—digging, trenching, etc. Manuring—preparation of 
seed-beds—sowing, thinning, etc.—lifting and storing of various crops. 
Preparation of seed order—planning of plots—weighing and costing produce. 
Pests and diseases—life histories of some of them. 
Preparation of labels for plots. 
(Board of Agriculture Leaflets for work indoors in bad weather.) 
Form IIb. Boys and Girls. Average age, 12. Hours per week, 3. 
A. and B. Introduction to Botany. 
A series of drawings are prepared (loose sheets in portfolio) : (a) twigs 
from trees in school grounds; (b) bulbs, etc.—crocus, montbretia, 
hyacinth; (c) flowers—those presenting simple structure, so as to lead 
up to (1) a complete flower, (2) floral diagrams, (3) floral formule, 
(4) similarity of arrangement. 
(Part of the work is done in the drawing classes.) 
Boys only. Hours per week, 13. 
C. Gardening—as for Form II. but with greater variety of crops. 
(N.B.—New pupils starting in this form with no knowledge of gardening are 
usually placed with more experienced pupils.) 
Form IIla.—Boys and Girls. Average age, 13. Hours per week, 3. 
A. Physics. 
Experimental work dealing with (a) measurement of length, area, volume, etc. ; 
(b) the balance—weighing ; (c) density and relative density ; (d) Archi- 
medes’ Law—fluid pressure ; (e) the barometer. 
B. Botany. 
The work started in Form IIb. is continued with a view to starting a Flora 
in Form IV. 
Boys only. 
D. Gardening. 
The boys work a ‘common plot’ with the following rotation: (1) potatoes, 
(2) beet and carrots, (3) onions, (4) cabbage family. 
Experimental work on common plot: (a) Variety trials; (6) seed-saving— 
selection of types ; (c) control of pests and diseases—spraying ; (d) raising 
of seed potatoes—rogueing ; (e) influence of spacing of crops; (f) simple 
manurial experiments. 
In addition each boy prunes, feeds, and generally manages: (1) an apple-tree, 
(2) a soft-fruit bush—gooseberry or red currant. 
C. Other activities. 
(1) The class records’observations made of air temperature and soil temperature ; 
(2) Raises when necessary supplies of plants having special botanical 
significance. 
Form IV. Boys and Girls. Average age, 14. Hours per week, 44. 
A. Chemistry. 
(a) Experimental study of the following: The atmosphere, water, oxygen, 
hydrogen, nitrogen, oxides, acids, bases and salts, carbon dioxide, ammonia, 
common calcium compounds ; (6) in addition the following : law of constant 
composition, chemical change, chemical equations, symbols, formule, 
atoms and molecules. 
