Suggestions for Forestry Study in the Eighth Grade 

 or First Year High School 



George H. Russell 

 Assistant in Nature Study, Cornell University 



The most important thing to begin with is tree identification. 

 It is necessary to have this knowledge as a background for all 

 forestry study. If the pupils have had a proper training in Nature 

 Study in the earlier grades, they will doubtless know most of the 

 common trees, but the teacher should not take this for granted; 

 but should devote time to a thorough study of the leaves of trees, 

 taking up all available species, even though uncommon in the 

 vicinity. There are various methods of teaching this mode of 

 identification and the particular manner of presenting the work 

 should be fitted to the^situation. If the class numbers less than 25 

 and the trees are not too far away, possibly the best method is to 

 lead the pupils to the trees, letting them collect their own specimens 

 and label them. If this is not feasible, the better way is for the 

 teacher to bring the leaves into the laboratory where they may be 

 drawn and notes made regarding texture, petioles, etc. 



The making of card mounts is invaluable in learning about the 

 different species. By taking ordinary cardboard and fastening 

 upon it a leaf, the fruit, together with a piece of the bark, a twig 

 and sections of the wood (X and longitudinal) the collection is 

 made complete. 



For each species a brief tabular outline may be made and 

 attached to the mount. The following from Moon's Book of 

 Forestry is a simple example : 



BEECH 



Fagus Americana. 



Bark 

 Thin, steel gray and very smooth. 



Leaves 

 2^2-5 inches long, coarse teeth and with long, slender points. 



Fruit 

 A burr containing 1 or 2 triangular nuts. 



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