tion was made: Soil may be formed from the breaking up of
rocks and shells.

Each topic was treated in a similar manner, the specific qualities of
the specimen being brought out, until we were able to make the
summary:--

"Soil is made from decayed rocks and shells; soil is made from decayed
leaves; the rocks make a coarse soil called sand; the wood and leaves
make finer soil called loam; the mixture of these soils makes
productive soil."

[Illustration: WHOSE BED LOOKS THE BEST?]

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 experiment, we proceeded to analyze as follows the soil
brought 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 more loam?"

"Because, when I rub it between my fingers there seems to be more soft
material than grains," came the answer.

"Can any one suggest a means of proving that there is some of each kind
of soil in what we 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 when we stop stirring?"

"The sand will settle at the bottom of the jar," was the ready reply
from a bright 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.

"Now we will try to discover which kind will produce the best plant.
How shall we determine this?"

"Plant some seeds," was the immediate suggestion.

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 pushing up," came the statement one morning and every
child