than this, yiui will ari|uire the habit of systematieally taking and 

 recording observations which will \nxi\v inyaluable to voii all through 

 hfe. 



In order to help you, I will suggest (1) a few very simple experi- 

 ments that yon can try in the garden at home, or in some corner 

 where they would not be disturlieil, and (2) how to arrange and man- 

 age a school farm, in which you could join with your schoolmates in 

 conducting a variety of experiments. 



One of the very interesting things }'ou might do in the garden at 

 home is to collect and plant all the varieties of peas you can get. This 

 might include the t^'auada field peas, the several kinds of garden peas 

 and the different vaiieties of sweet peas. Plant in drills at least one 

 foot apart, dropping the seeds two or three inches apart in the drill. 

 Do all the planting in one day in the early spring, and cover about 

 two inches deei". Note (1) when each kind "comes up;" (2) the differ- 

 ence between the first or seed leaves and those which follow; (3) how 

 tall each kind grows; (4) when each kind blooms; (5) differences in 

 the size, color and fragrance of the flowers; (6) differences in the form 

 and size of the seed jiods and in the number of pods produced on a 

 fingle plant of each kind; (?) wlien each kind matures. You will, of 

 course, need sujiports for the taller varieties. ^YlK'n each variety 

 eoijies into bloom it will be interesting to carefully dig up one plant of 

 each kind and examine the roots for nodides (Httle rounded enlarge- 

 ments), which will vary in size from a pin head to a pea. The little 

 colonies of niicrolje> which live in these nodules have tlie singular 

 power of capturing the free nitrogen of the air and of rendering it 

 available for crops. 



:\fost if not all of the leguminous plants (including peas, beans, 

 clovers, etc.) have tliis peculiar power of "hxing" nitrogen through 

 the agencv of microscopic soil microbes, and this is one reason they 

 are called soil-renewing crops. 



This exjieriinent wordd be nearly, if not quite, as interesting if 

 made with vanetie.- of beans, or corn, or potatoes. 



If in addition to. or instead of, these experiments at home, you de- 

 sire to join with vonr schoolmates in making a scries of experiments, 

 the school farm will liest serve your purpose. An enclosure one rod 

 wide by four long is perhaps as large as you can well take care of 

 "by hand." In such an enclosure you can lay out a series of twenty 

 plats, each one yard square, for the small grains, and another series, 

 each six feet bvseveu. for corn, iiotatoes, etc. The accompanying dia- 



