ional exercises,
as are also its food, its winter home, and the burrows leading from the
water into the banks. In the case of the winter home, the location, the
structure, the submerged entrance, the living-room, and the surrounding
moat, are topics of interest.

CORRELATIONS

With literature: By reading animal stories, such as, _The Kindred of the
Wild_ and "Red Fox," by Charles G. D. Roberts; and _Wild Animals I Have
Known_, by Ernest Thompson-Seton.

With language: By oral and written descriptions of the animals that have
been observed.

CHAPTER X

FORM III

WINTER

CARE OF PLANTS IN THE HOME

The care of flowering bulbs which was begun in Form I will be continued
in Form II. The growing of new plants from cuttings will now be taken
up. In those schools which are kept continuously heated, potted plants
may be kept throughout the year. The pupils will come to appreciate the
plant's needs and learn how to meet them in the supply of good soil,
water, and sunlight. The following points should be observed:

1. Good potting soil can be made by building up alternating layers of
sods and stable manure and allowing this compost to stand until
thoroughly rotted. A little sharp sand mixed with this forms an
excellent soil for most house plants.

2. Thorough watering twice a week is better than adding a little water
every day.

3. The leaves should be showered with water once a week to cleanse them
from dust.

4. An ounce of whale-oil soap dissolved in a quart of water may be used
to destroy plant-lice. Common soap-suds may also be used for this
purpose, but care should be taken to rinse the plants in clean water
after using a soap wash.

5. Most plants need some direct sunlight every day if possible, although
most of the ferns grow without it.

6. Plants usually need re-potting once a year. Many kinds may be set
out-of-doors in flower beds in May and left until September, when they
may be taken up and placed in pots, or cuttings made from them for
potting.

7. A flower exhibition at the school once or twice a year, or at a local
exhibition, adds to the interest.

8. The pupils should report to the teacher from time to time the
progress of their plants and make many drawings showing their
development.

PLANT CUTTINGS

The pupils will be interested to know that it is possible to produce new
plants without waiting for them to grow up from the seed. It will indeed
be quite a surprise to them to s