Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-03-04

How many OF the parents present
realize the advantage their children
have along this line of studies or the
pleasure fit with them? Do not ex-
pect them to begin it alone or wait un-
til they enter school for some one to
take it off your hands, thinking you are
gaining, for in reality you are the loser.
You may say 81 know nothing at all
about it and have no time for study"
but take time, study with them and
neglect, if you must, the making of
some dainty for the table and spend a
few hours in the woods and meadows;
thus having feast for the mind instead
of that dainty to tickle the palate Say
to yourself, "Plain food is wholesome
and sure to be enjoyed after tramp
In the fresh air and sunshine"
If interested in plant life, begin at
once. Do not wet for your ardor to
cool. Take some seeds, prefer large
ones as: beans, peas, corn, oats, wheat
and pumkins; these give nice variety;
T
plant in cans or boxes and place in a
sunny window. Dig out some each
day to watch the termination of each
and the different ways i'll which the
roots as well as the stems grow En-
courage the children If old enough to
keep note books and record their OBJ
servations. Use such names radical,
cotyledons, rootlets and tap root in this
way gradually adding to the child's
vocabulary. Then later if near the
wood be on the watch for the brief pur-
pie days of hepatica and the hours when
the blood leads its white life, and the
coming of the myriads of other spring
flowers in both wood and, meadow.
Press the plants you gather, fasten in
your note book, describe giving locality
and time of bloom and leave space to
add more from future study. If there
are two or three boys or girls in the
family let one take prairie flowers the
other woods flowers, or one may have
those with white and yellow blossoms,
the second pink and red while third
may take blue and purple. Do not
stop with the wild flower however.
Study our farm plants or forest trees,
learning when these latter bloom,
shapes of leaves and how to distinguish.
ed each by Its bark and wood as we'll
as by its foliage. Learn their uses and
If you choose make collection of leaves
instead of flowers as suggested. But
DO not ride Botany for hobby because
1t is mine; there are many others to
choose from but have one of your own.
No doubt the girls will choose the flow.
ers while the boys as rule prefer the
farm plants and trees and will advance
faster than their teachers unless they
are very careful.
Now to some bird life is more pleas
ing and the birds like the poor are sure,
some of them to be always with
us. We watch our little gray winter
birds and love them for their bravery in
batteling against cold and snow, but
how many of us know one variety from
another. How we watch for the robin
and the blue bird-harbingers of spring
But just tell me how and where they
build their nests; the color, size and
number of eggs. Possibly the boys can
they being fond of climbing and hunt.
ing birds nests. How about the girls
are they? They used to be in the long
ago. Look at the the nest and eggs but
do not take them if you have con.
science. robbed cat-bitd's nest many
years ago but can hear that mother
birds cries to this day. Do not out of mis-.
taken Kindness try to improve the birds
way Of building her nest as did on
finding nest hanging by horse hair.
Each bird has way that to her seems
best
0ryou may enjoy better the study of
insect life Now, girls, do not be afraid
of bug or worm; .hatis If you can
helpit. Why is it one goes into Mysteries
at the sight of q spider while another
screams when e worm comes into
view? lcannot blame you; 1 simply
abhor maggot 1 could not enjoy
watching them yet can the others
You are pleased to see butterfly, why
not pillar; 1t is only baby
Watch 1t warp uplbefore going to sleep
and then see 1t afterits awakening
What wonderful change! Are you
sure you never call q moth a butterfly
Study the bees; those busy, usefu
little creatures and you aresure to pasl