2 BULLETIN 258, L T . S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICTJLTUEE. 



bulletins of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala., and 

 to Farmers' Bulletins of the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Washington, D. C. The references are made for two purposes, 

 namely, to supplement the textbook material and to provide a reading 

 course for the teacher. Any teacher who secures these bulletins and 

 studies them carefully will have completed a good elementary course 

 in agriculture. It is suggested that agriculture and some other sub- 

 ject such as physiology be alternated throughout the school year. 

 Two lessons a week for eight months are necessary to complete the 

 work in agriculture. If the school year is shorter, it will be neces- 

 sary to have three lessons a week to complete the course. 



Practical exercises are suggested in connection with each lesson. 

 If this course is to be made most effective, however, the practical 

 work should take the direction very largely of club activities or home 

 projects. 



The correlation exercises in connection with each lesson are in- 

 tended to be suggestive. The teacher should vitalize the other public- 

 school subjects by utilizing things most familiar to the pupils, such 

 as farm, home, and school-life facts and incidents. It is understood 

 that the correlation suggestions are not necessarily a part of the 

 lesson in connection with which they appear, but are to give local 

 coloring to the other subjects. 



SEPTEMBER. 



LESSON ONE. 



SUBJECT : SOIL. TOPIC : WINTEB COVER CKOPS. 



Importance. — During the summer and early fall the plant life in 

 the soil makes available much valuable plant food. Unless this is 

 conserved the weathering agencies leach it out .and wash it away 

 during the winter months. 



Kinds of cover crops. — (1) Small grains, such as rye, barley, wheat, 

 and oats; (2) legumes, such as crimson clover, bur clover, and vetch. 



Seeding. — Such crops are seeded while other crops are occupying 

 the ground, hence the necessity of hand sowing or using a one-horse 

 drill. 



Class assignment. — Duggar's, 1 pp. 86-92. Teachers supplement 

 this lesson with notes from Farmers' Buls. 2 326, 427, and 507; Ala- 

 bama Experiment Station Buls. 147 and 165. 



Practical exercises. — Study roots of leguminous plants and compare 

 them with the roots of nonleguminous plants. Note the tubercles. 



1 Duggar's Agriculture for Southern Schools. 



2 Farmers' Bulletins may be had, as long as available, by writing to the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



