The Dickinson press., 1912-03-30

system has the wheat plantf
Studies should be made Of the growing
grain plants in the spring time. Young
wheat plants may be dug up and the
peculiar roofing system studied. The
relation between the method of roofing
and deep and shallow seeding will be
plainly indicated.
Different samples of corn from the
neighborhood car be saved for winter
study and for seed testing work. The
characters of flint corn and dent corn
should be studied and the differences
between the two should be pointed out.
The pupils should be shown the mon
grel character of much of our corn
much of the dent corn having flint blood
in it.
Study should be made of the alfalfa
plant. its method of sending out branch
es. the leafine of the plant, character
of the flowers and seeding habits. Study
should be made of the root system and
roots should actually be dug up to show
method of roofing. Search should be
made for nodules. They should be ex-
|plained.
In the study of farm crops it will be
OF interest to take a ems and deter
mine what acreage of each crop and
what per cent of acreage of each crop
there is grown in the ne%ighborhood.
Each crop grown upon the farm will
yield ample material for much profit
ble.work. Along with the census Of acre.
age it will be of importance to deter
mine what varieties are grown in the
neighborhood. The teacher can point
out the Importance of having a grain
of some pure variety for any district.
Not only are the yields increased there
by. but the quality of the grain is en-
HANGED at the market. The studies may
be taken of rotations, if there are any
being carried on in the community and
likewise the types of farming that are
involved. A community map may be
made by the older students. giving
these data in graphic form.
/ PLANT DISEASES.
1t will be easy to obtain material tor
this work. Heads of sinking smut in
wheat can be picked and saved and also
heads that have been spoiled by loose
smut. 1t will be easy also to secure dis
l 0nond flow nv0~to md sayhnnt r1orto khak
are suffering from ''black foot" Pull
up a dozen growing wheat plants and
some of them will be seen to have the
dark colored stems.
Students may bring IN samples of
their home grain and sortings may be
made. The plump and healthy kernels
Eshould be separated from the shriveled
land diseased kernels. One or two of the
students can be induced. perhaps, to run
some grain through the tanning mill,
-41and,to bring to school some Of the clean.
ed grain and some of the screenings.
It will not be Impractical to mix up q
fo%rmaldehyde solution and spray a sam
pie of flax. A"peck of fax, a square
yard of muslin. q whisk broom and q
big spoon will do the work. There will
generally be enough rust pustules found
upon volunteer oats in the fall time to
furnish material for rust study.
SEEDS.
The termination of seeds will make
good work in the spring time. 1t can
be carried on in the winter if the school
house be kept above freezing tempera.
ture. If the weather is not too severe
a home made freless cooker may BIZ
used to keep the seeds warm during thu
night. Seed testing should be made
t Of practical benefit by testing the seed'
to be used in the neiehborhood. A com
; parative test should be made of til.
plump seeds and the shriveled seeds O
any sample. Pupils should be laugh
how to make the ear test with corn
either. the sand box method o
the rag. doll method. The samples o
grain should be studied. from the stand
point Of the weed. seeds, the differen
kinds picked out aad put in Walls an,
: labeled where possible.
THE WEATHER.
Some provision should be made TO
taking temperature and rainfall. .Th,
pupil should be taught to make reeuia
: readings of the thermometer. puttinI
down the readings. A post should b
set and a tin can with straight edge
placed upon it, so fixed so that it viii
, not blow off but so it can be removed
!, to catch the rain. Rainfall reading
should be made ono a day after storm
and the amount recorded. The data Sc
: cured can be used for arithmetic work
, Some study should be made of tn
clouds. the relation of winds to storm
: and the relation of weather to a killing
= frost. 1t will be easy to rig up sim
= pie we and dry bulb thermometer.