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EXERCISES FOR SOUTHERN RURAL SCHOOLS. 11 
New assignment.—Give special attention to insect pests and fungus 
diseases of gardens, orchards, fields, and forests. During this month 
many of these are especially active making preparations to send a 
large number of pupe and spores through the winter months. In- 
sects and fungus diseases that are not recognized should be sent to 
the State college of agriculture for identification. 
Insects found should be studied to learn their life history; that is, 
appearance of the egg and where deposited, the appearance of the 
larva and the proper common name to be used for it (grub, caterpillar, 
or maggot), the length of time spent in that stage, the damage 
done, and means of destroying; the appearance of the pupa or dor- 
mant stage, places in which found, the time spent in this stage, and 
the methods of destroying; the appearance of the adult and its 
common name, the places it frequents, the damage done, if any, where © 
it deposits eggs, and methods of destroying. 
Have pupils of this grade study and make reports on insects in 
any stage found during this month in the gardens, orchards, fields, 
and forests. Parts of plants being attacked should be brought to 
study the damage done. In the gardens look for cabbage and collard 
worms, potato beetles; in fields look for the boil weevil, the cotton 
caterpillar, and the cotton bollworm, the grass or corn worm; in 
orchards look for the San José scale and the white fly (where citrus 
fruit is grown); also look for the cattle tick. 
The pupils should study and report on fungus diseases. Note the 
appearance of affected parts, the character of the damage done, and 
methods of combating. Look for tomato blight, potato blight, 
potato scab, apple scab, apple black rot, apple bitter rot, sooty mold 
of citrus fruit and shrubs, fire blight of apple, pear, and quince, 
cotton boll rot, and corn smut. (See Farmers’ Buls. 243 and 440.) 
Correlations.—Keeping records of studies with birds, mammals, 
isects, and fungus diseases and describing the damage done by 
insects and fungi furnish ample material for written work. Best 
records and descriptions should be given places in class notebooks. 
(See Pl. ITI.) 
Drawings should be made showing the different stages of the life 
history of insects, the damage done to plants attacked by them, and 
the appearance of fungus diseases on plant parts attacked by them. 
These studies may be correlated with geography by making a map 
of the school district showing the places in which damage is done by 
insects and fungi. This map should be preserved to be filled in with 
the results of the studies in the other schocl months. 
Noting the insects and fungi that are native and those that have 
been introduced, recording the dates of introduction in the case of 
those that have been introduced, and writing accounts of damage 
done in each case are suitable for correlation with history. 
