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valuable forms of educational discipline. The eyes of a whole school daily passing over a whole school 
section will let very little escape notice, especially if the first observer of each annually recurring pheno- 
menon receives credit as the first observer of it for the year. The observations will be accurate, as the 
facts must be demonstrated by the most undoubted evidence, such as the bringing of the specimens to the 
school when possible or necessary. 
The estimated length and breadth of the locality wibhin which the following observations were 
ma.de miles. Estimated distance from the sea coast miles. Estimated altitude above 
sea level feet. Slope or general exposure of the region . General character of the soil 
and surface . Proportion of forest and its character . Does the region include low- 
lands or intervales ? , and if so, name the main river or stream . Or is it all 
substantially highlands ? . Any other peculiarity tending to affect vegetation 
The most central Post Office of the locality or region 
Wild Plants, &c. Then follow a list of 51 well-known plants. No. 52 is " Expanding leaves in 
spring made trees appear green (a) first tree , (6) leafing trees generally ." 
Cultivated Plants, &c. number 53 to 65, and include such plants as Cherry, Plum, Apple, Red 
and White Clover, Timothy Grass and Potato. 
Under Farming Operations, &c., we have (66) Plowing begun ; (67) Sowing 
begun ; (68) Planting of potatoes begun ; (69) Shearing of 
sheep ; (70) Hay cutting ; (71) Grain cutting ; 
(72) Potato digging 
Under Meteorological Phenomena. (73) Opening of (a) Rivers, (b) Lakes without currents (these are, 
of course, of especial importance to Canada) ; (74) Last snow (a) to whiten ground, 
(&) to fly in air ; (75) Last spring frost (a) " hard " (b) " hoar " I 
(76) Water in streams, rivers, &c. (a) highest, (b) lowest ; (77) First Autumn frosts 
(a) " hoar " (6) " hard " ; (78) First snow (a) to fly in air, (b) to whiten ground 
; (79) Closing of (a) Lakes without currents, (b) Rivers ; 
(8) Number of thunder storms (with dates of each) 
Migration of Birds, &c. (81) Wild duck migrating ; (82) Wild geese 
migrating . Then comes a list of local birds (Nos. 83-98), ending with (99) Piping 
of frogs ; (100) Appearance of snakes. 
Other Observations or Remarks. (101) Senecio Jafobaea (St. James' Ragwort). Is it found within 
the school section ? If so, to what extent, &c. ; (102) The brown tail moth, &c. 
(N.B. These two pests are of special importance to Canada.) 
Under such a heading as " First Flowering of the Apple," it would be obviously desirable and even 
necessary to refer to the variety, and even the same tree, as obviously we must not refer to an early sort 
one year and to a later one another. But these are details. 
Then we have annually, in the local " Journal of Education," " Comments on the phenological 
observations conducted in the public schools of Nova Scotia, during the school year ended 
by the educational staff of phenologists." 
Nova Scotia is divided into Regions or Slopes, which are subdivided into Belts, 
and there is a Map of Regions. The teachers (I notice they are mostly ladies) have 
numbers or marks assigned to their efforts in regard to the annual reports. Sometimes 
special attention is given to a weed, as, for example, in the Journal for 1910, there is a 
figure of the St. James' Ragwort (Senecio Jacobcea} which poisons cattle, and the yearly 
records did something to help the local authorities in destroying the pest. One of the 
agencies was to offer prizes for collecting and destroying it. If children can usefully 
