A GRADED COURSE OF NATURE-STUDY 491 



The tropical fruit industry: Banana:* Where grown, 

 climate, the tree and fruit. Shipment and preser- 

 vation. Figs and dates, similarly. (313, geographies, 

 commercial geographies, geographical magazines. School 

 Science, Birds and Nature, Year-books of the Department 

 of Agriculture). Discuss the introduction of foreign plants 

 into this country. Make a list including fibre plants, fruit, 

 grains, grasses, and trees. What native plants has this 

 country sent to other lands ? (318, 317, 213, 320, " Practical 

 Flora," by Wilhs.) 



Aquatic Plants: Observe in river or pond. Note gen- 

 eral character, and collect different kinds. They need not 

 be named except, perhaps, water milfoil, pickerel weed, eel 

 grass, duckweed, and bullrushes. Note the abundant growth. 

 Observe the minute animals that live in it. Discuss the 

 relation of these to fishes. Note * the gradual filling up of 

 the pond by these weeds. Observe a swamp* and a low 

 meadow,* and observe that these are later stages of the pond- 

 filling process. Note the peaty substance of the swamp and 

 meadow. Its origin? Refer to origin of coal. (156, 158, 

 166, 161, 153, etc.) On the sea shore, study, collect, and 

 press seaweeds. 



Trees : Observe and identify ash and Kentucky coffee 

 tree. Make a more detailed study of leaf fall:* Manner, 

 conditions, scars, and healing; need of leaf fall. Study the 

 autumn colors,* both from the aesthetic and the scientific 

 standpoint. Does the frost make the colors? Suppose the 

 leaves are frozen, do the colors appear ? Note the character- 

 istic color changes of particular trees.* Make a list classify- 

 ing the trees as to autumn colors — reds, yellow, etc. Observe 

 that the buds for next spring are already formed. What 



