14 BULLETIN" 281, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
poultry pens light, well-ventilated and with ample room for exercise. 
The same idea must be applied to stables for dairy cows. How guard 
against vermin in the flock ? Show how the food demand changes as 
winter comes. Suggest succulent winter foods for poultry and 
dairy. 
Develop the topic of apples and other fruit for human food. Con- 
sult Farmers' Bui. 293, Use of Fruit as Food. Compare eggs and 
milk with other animal foods for cost and food value. Demonstrate 
the variety in supply of fresh foods on the farm. (See Farmers' Bui. 
635.) 
DECEMBER. 
Practical and field exercises. — Plan to have pupils visit successful 
dairy farms to inspect typical animals and learn of points. Investi- 
gate also the management, the feed practice, and marketing. 
Begin practice in milk testing at school if possible. Begin practice 
in corn judging. Examine soils in school collection and distinguish 
by appearance and feeling sand, clay, gravel, and humus. 
Make a record of winter birds, when and where seen, what food and 
other habits. (See Farmers' Buls. 54, 456, 497, 506, 609, 621, and 
630.) Strive to observe accurately. Use Birds in Their Relation to 
Man, by Weed and Dearborn, or similar books. 
Language lessons. — Have report of dairy inspection carefully writ- 
ten. Require descriptions of an ideal ear of corn or of the best cow 
on the home farm. Write with care the plan for selecting a suitable 
ration for either the hens or the dairy cow. Write the directions for 
testing milk with Babcock tester. Make out with care reports or 
records on work done or observations made. Keep these for refer- 
ence. Careful figures, plain writing, correct spelling, and clear state- 
ments are necessary on all club reports and often win the contest. 
Reading and spelling. — Select supplementary readings giving an 
appreciation of the freedom, security, and happiness in the country 
in winter, such as Snow Bound — Whittier; Our Rural Divinity — 
Burroughs; The Winter herd scene in " Sho velhorns " — Hawkes; 
Wood-craft — Boy Scout's Manual; and Stories of Luther Burbank's 
work. Memorize The Boys That Rule the World and other poems. 
Along the lines of suggested practical exercises read from available 
bulletins. Consult poultry bulletins previously mentioned, also 
Farmers' Buls. 413, Care of Milk and Its Use in the Home; 490, Bac- 
teria in Milk; 530, Important Poultry Diseases; 602, Production of 
Clean Milk. If there is not published in the State a bulletin on the 
Babcock test one may be procured from another State or from 
manufacturers of testing machines. 
