EXEECISES FOR SOUTHERN RURAL SCHOOLS. 5 



Practical exercises. — Have pupils select from choice garden plants 

 seeds that are maturing this month. Store seed in small paper bags 

 in a place not subject to extremes of temperature and to the ravages 

 of insects and mice. 



Collect roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seed of blooming and seed- 

 maturing garden plants, wild flowers, and weeds. Mount the leaves 

 and flowers in the class notebook. The roots, stems, and seed should 

 be mounted on separate cards and labeled so as to indicate the name 

 of the plant, the month collected, and the class making the collection. 

 (See Farmers' Bui. 586.) 



Correlations. — Language lessons: The trips in search of wild 

 flowers and weeds afford material for written work. The location 

 of a plant, its general appearance, the kind of leaves, flowers, and seed 

 it bears, the manner of distributing its seed should form an outline 

 for a written story. 



Drawing: Sketch the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit or 

 seeds of plants studied this month. The best drawing should be 

 mounted in the class notebook. 



Review and continued work. — Continue population studies. 



Study birds more in detail. Are there new birds to be seen this 

 month ? Are they seen in flocks or alone ? What do they eat ? Do 

 they go farther south or remain for the winter ? Begin to look for 

 the bobolink, or rice bird, and the field lark. What member of the 

 class will be the first to report the appearance of a new bird ? 



Some or all of the following birds will seek a warmer climate 

 during the winter : The cuckoo or rain crow, catbird, martin, kingbird, 

 night and sparrow hawks. They should be given attention before 

 they go away. Compare the males and females. Which are bright ? 

 Which dull ? Can you give reasons ? Uses of feathers on different 

 parts of the body — shedding water, warmth, flying, balancing in air 

 and on perches, propping on trees. 



Compare the feathers on the neck, breast, back, wing, and tail of a 

 chicken with those of some other farm fowl — turkey, goose, or 

 guinea. Learn the parts of a feather — quill, barb, and barbel. 



New worlc assigned. — Begin the study of domestic and wild mam- 

 mals (animals that suckle their young) that are of economic im- 

 portance this month. What domestic mammals are rendering 

 service? Idle? Gathering their own food? Being fed? 



What wild mammals are destroying or damaging garden or field 

 crops? Dors (he damage done justify their extermination? Are 

 they useful for game ? 



Answer the following questions with regard to the animals you 

 select for study : WTiere do they live now ? What is the winter homo 



