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Show 444 REPORT OR SUPERINTENDXNT OR INDIAN SCHOOLS. GIive short talks on plant diseases, their nature and cause, and also their pre-vention, giving illustrations from the children's gardens, if possible, and also making experiments. Injurious insects; their methods of destroying plants; remedies for same; the fruit trees must he sprayed if we want god frnlt; wormy varieties will result if this is neglected; trees are oIten destroyed by small caterpillars; the roots of fruit trees ahonld be looked after. A spirit of competition and friendly rivalry for the honor of the most productive and neatest garden should be encouraged. Sufficient corn allonld be planted to supply the demands for drying, etc. In this connection, fruits should be canned as well as dried. Tomatoes, corn, peaches, apples, or whatever is available must be put np for winter. Trarh tlldt the reanon mauy wells arc need so much for feedin:: people and animal* id hecannoof tho food atored up in them for thenpsof the young plant,and tho! in this wr~y nearly all the food oi me" slid anjmals puwa our of the ground. Fourth year.-The class-room teacher must interest the popils in natnre work from the start by introducing them to p!ant life, soils, and inaects, ahowing the relations existing between them and thew interdependence. By experiments with seeds and soils teaolr the uses of roots to plants, that roots absorb plant food and moisture from the soil, while they sometimes store food for the future use of the plant, and thst they willnot grow wlthoul air. Show the relation of soils to plants, and how they are made and their power to absorb and hold heat; also bac-teria in the soil. Fifth year.-Soils.-Soils are classified as follows: 1,OHm. Sandy loam, in which there is moro sand than clay. Clry loam, in which there is mure clay than sand. Clav soil. comnusrd larmlv of rlav. Humus, or orgaiic soil, c&iposed largely of decayed organic matter, anch as the black soil of swamps, decayed leaves, woods, earth, etc. What can we do far our clay soils to help themabsorb tberainl Forimmediate results, plow them and keep them loosewith tillage tools; for more lasting results. mix organic matter with them by plowing in farm manures or growing crops and turning them under. Sand luay also beapplied, but it is not always to be obtained and is expensive to haul. What can we do for our.sandy soils to help them to hold better the moisture which falls on them and tends to leach through them? For immediate effects, compact them with the roller; for more lasting &mts fill them with organic matter. By simple lessons impress upon the pupil (1) the importance of deep and thorough p~eparatiouo f the soil; (2) the importance of keeping theland covered with crops the entire year in moist re 'on8 to prevent the loss of plant food; and ( 5 ) the importanceof keeping the soi?well snpplied with organic matter. The lessons will be well worth the effort, for these are some of the important pointa neglected l ~ you r farmers thronz.h ii-g norance of their value. Sixth Year.-Teach farm accounts and bnsiness forms. Review plants, soils, etc., as presented in the fifth year. !77@ crops.-What is raised on the school farm'! What on the lend owned by the parents of the pupils? Give talks ou marketlug crops and their comparative ualna Corn.-Its history; natnre as food; nses of corn. Wheat.-Oses of wheat and wheat straw. For man; for animals. Seed, horn improued8-A highly intelligent practical wheat grower selected wheat on the followingplan: Chwains the best and most productive plant, he planted the grains from it in rows, 12 inches apart every way, and so arranged thst the grains from each head or ear shonld be m a row by themselves. At harvest he selectell from those,after careful study and comparison, the finest plants. This process he repeated for four or more years. In five years the numberof grains to the ear increased from 47 to 123. From various observations and experiments be deduced the followin& laws of the development of cereals: . 1. Every fully developed plant, whether of wheat, oats, or barley, presents an ear auperior in prodnctlve power to any of the rest on that plant. 8. Everysuch plant contains onegrain which,upon tria1,provesmoreproductive t-.-h- m znv other ~ -. , :I. The beat grain in H given plant ia found in its bent ear. 4. Tna auprrior vigor of thi. grain is tranernlsoible in d~rhrendt egrees. 5. By reputed careful selocrion the superiority is accumulated. |
