488 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



2. Expaneion as a phenomenon generally accompanying heating. Rough 

 estimates of expansion of water and of metal rods. Expansion and pressure- 

 increase of heated air. Geographical applications. 



3. Examination of the steady heating and cooling of water ; discovery of 

 constancy of temperature during boiling and freezing. 



Definite melting and boiling points of substances. Freezing of sea-water. 

 Melting-points of alloys, &c. Change of volume on solidification : ice, type- 

 metal, dentist's filling, &c. 



4. Maximum and minimum thermometers ; construction of temperature 

 charts. (Records of wind-directions and rainfall should also be kept throughout 

 the year.) 



Second Year. 



[Section I. must be taken, as before, in seasonal order. Section II., E., is 

 closely related to it and should be begun in the autumn term.} 



I. Biological Section. 

 A. Autumn Term. 



1. Animal life in the garden. Individual observations, guided by question 

 papers, directions for practical work, reference books, &c., supplemented by 

 class-work. The following are suitable subjects : snail and slug, earthworm, 

 centipede and millipede, earwig, green-fly, lady-bird, hover-fly, lace-wing fly, 

 crane-fly. 



2. Soil : general characters of clay, sand, chalk, peat, &c. ; closer study of 

 local soil ; subsoil. Simple experiments to ascertain proportions of water, clay, 

 sand, silt, grit, and organic matter in a sample of soil. 



3. The ingredients of soil. Clay : why called ' heavy ' ; impervious to water 

 and air; comparison of growth of seeds in pure clay and garden soil ; experiments 

 on effects of 'liming.' Experiments to test properties of sand and chalk. Leaf- 

 mould and humus : origin and distribution. 



4. Biology of soil. Adaptations of animals that inhabit soil. Why the 

 farmer thinks soil itself ' alive ' ; demonstration of activity by reepiration within 

 the soil. Soil bacteria and protozoa needing air, water, and food. 



B. Spring Term. 



Relation of plant life to soil. 



1. Soil-water ; comparison of retentive power of different soils. Rise of water 

 in soils; capillarity (see II., C, 3). Importance of hoeing and mulching. 



2. Local differences in water-supply of soil; effects on plant forms studied 

 in situ. 



3. Differences in form of leaves of plants from dry and wet localities. 

 Experimental investigation of differences directed to (i) absorption of water by 

 roots, (ii) loss of water by leaves. Hale's experiments. Construction of 

 potometer. Microscopic examination of leaf -epidermis ; stomata, water-pores. 



Ascent of water in stem; osmosis (see II., C, 4). 



4. Mineral substances in soil as food for plants. 



(a) Soil-water shown by evaporation (II., E., 1) to contain dissolved mineral 

 matter ; comparison with transpired water suggests that the matter is retained 

 by the plant. Suggestion confirmed by examination of ash of burnt plant. 

 The more important constituents. Practical preparation of water and sand 

 cultures. Selective absorption by roots. 



(6) Rotation of crops. The nodules on roots of leguminous plants ; fixation 

 of nitrogen by bacteria. Bottomley's researches. ' Symbiotic ' relations 

 between green plants and fungi. 



C Summer Term. 



Studies in plant physiologj'. 



1. Respiration. Germinating seeds found, lilce human beings, to emit 

 carbon dioxide. Probability (in spite of negative experimental tests) that the 

 developed plant continues to respire. Reference to behaviour of water-plants 



