3 BULLETIN 281, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the written exercises. Make sure that the terms are all pronounced 

 correctly. Mispronunciation makes misspelling almost inevitable, 

 and the pupils should use the proper term in each case. 



Arithmetic. — The summer records of the projects ought to furnish 

 the figures for problems of all sorts. Areas of fields, stand of corn, 

 averages of yields, rate per acre, cost per acre, increase of yield over 

 seed, gain over cost in amount and rate, interest rate on investment , 

 rate of yield hi relation to average for State, cost per egg of producing 

 eggs, tomato incomes and net profit, probable per cent profit from 

 the canned tomatoes, are some of the possible problems. The capacity 

 of silos is a problem suited to some districts. Have the problem relate 

 to the class work of the month or to review work in arithmetic as 

 well as to agriculture. The correlation should work both ways or it 

 is unfair. Remember other phases of community and home life de- 

 serve correlation. (See problems in Supplement XIII.) 



Geography. — Have pupils make several copies of maps of the dis- 

 trict and the township. Get original maps from county or township 

 surveys or make from observations of district. On one locate the win- 

 ners of prizes on different exhibits at the fairs. This will help in find- 

 ing suitable material on field trips. Have pupils obtain data as to 

 earliest severe frosts for the section and compare with other sec- 

 tions. On the State map locate the chief crops of various sections, 

 also make note of particularly successful boys' and girls' clubs. 

 Note what crops are yielding well in the different States and discuss 

 climatic factors. (See the latest issue of The Monthly Crop Report. 1 ) 

 Apply the same method to international crops, commerce, etc., mak- 

 ing use not only of census and other statistics but also the current 

 information gamed from magazines and farm papers. Make com- 

 ment on the crop per acre at home and abroad and seek explanations. 



History. — Consider the agricultural, industrial, and social facts 

 connected with the period in history which a class is studying. Look 

 up in various history texts the story of corn in the United States, 

 also have pupils inquire into the farm history of your section. (See 

 Bowman and Crosley's "Corn," Ch. I, and Montgomery's "The Cmn 

 Crops," Chs. I and II.) Trace the history of the potato hi reference 

 books and readers. Do not destroy the plan for history lessons hut 

 adapt topics to this plan. Where local histories are not printed, both 

 tradition and scrap files of old newspapers will be helpful. 



The suggestions under both history and geography are intended for 

 the reading and inquiry by the pupils, to be followed by class room 

 discussion. These topics may be divided among the members of the 

 class. Many school-history texts have separate chapters on agricul- 



1 The Monthly Crop Report is issued at monthly intervals by the United Stale-- Departmejll of Agriculture 

 and gives surveys of agricultural conditions in the country and other t imely informal ion which should help 

 any rural-school teacher. 



