Part 12 (1/2)
This summary led to the next lesson, ”The Productive Qualities of Soil” The question was asked, ”How can we determine the productive quality of soil?”
”We can plant some seeds in each kind of soil,” said a child Several pupils volunteered to bring pots of earth
Ready for the experiht by the children:--
”Take some of the soil in your hands, powder it as finely as possible--John, what do you find in yours?”
”I can feel grains of sand,” said John
”Do you think there is more sand or more loam?”
”I think there is more loam,” said another child
”Why do you think there is ers there seerains,” ca that there is some of each kind of soil in e have here?”
Various suggestions were made, but none directly to the point
[Illustration: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL]
”Mary, fill that glass jar three parts full of water We will now drop into the water some of this soil and mix it well What do you think will happen e stop stirring?”
”The sand will settle at the bottoht child
”The coarse loam will settle next,” was a second answer; and then came the statement that the finest loam would remain on top
We waited a few days and were rewarded by seeing the soil in distinct layers in the jar
”Noill try to discover which kind will produce the best plant
How shall we deterestion
One pot was filled with the original soil, and one each with the kinds of soil that we had gotten from our experiment A seed bean was placed in each pot, and all pots subjected to the same conditions and watched by anxious eyes
[Illustration: STUDYING NATURE]
”I see a bean pushi+ng up,” ca and every child wished for a peep at the tiny plant
”In which soil did the plant appear?”
Another look was taken and answer given that the plant came from the mixed soil
The second plant to appear came from the bed of coarse loam; the one in the pot of fine loaled to a small shoot, then died of starvation
After this the life of one plant was studied Thus slowly and cautiously the study of seed ger all fro to have him cull his information from the plant before his eyes
Now that ere faermination, we felt prepared to take up the outside work