Other bird poems and songs related to this subject will be found in the November Book.

The picture of the blackbird (in the number) may be used in the cutting lesson.

LITERATURE.

"How the Corn Grows," Emily Poulsson.
"A Corn Riddle" (November Plan Book).
"Hiawatha's Fasting," Longfellow.
"Hiawatha Blessing the Cornfields."

SONGS.

"Blackbird," Tomlins' Child's Songs.

"How Corn Grows," Howlitson's Child's Song Book. "How Corn Grows," Poulsson's Finger Plays.

DRAWING.

Paint corn plant. Draw it.

Cut corn leaves.

MAY.

All the buds and bees are singing;

All the lily bells are ringing;
All the brooks run full of laughter,
And the wind comes whispering after.
What is this they sing and say?
"It is May!"

See! The faint blue sky is brighter,
And our hearts with hope are lighter;
All the bells of joy are ringing;

All the grateful voices singing;

All the storms have passed away.

"It is May!"

-Selected.

THE BEAN AND PEA.

While the pupils, have been waiting for the appearance of the bean plants they will have been observing the pea or bean seeds in the tumblers, or cans, or on damp paper. They will have seen how the roots are formed, grow, branch and get nourishment.

Have them notice how the seeds swell and the skin wrinkles, when the seeds begin to grow; how they grow; what comes out of the seed first; how it gets out; where; how much it grows each day; in which direction; what the root does for the plant (finds food); what comes from the seed besides the roots; how many leaves; how folded; what holds them; color; how they get out of the seed coat; the use of coat to the seed; what becomes of it after the leaves and root come out; what becomes of the walls of the bean house (cotyledons); how many parts to this house; shape; size; color; of what use to baby plant; what keeps it warm; provides it with food; why it shrivels and drops off.

Provide each child with a piece of white paper, a pin and two lima beans, one bean being hard and the other soaked. The pin will be found useful in removing the skin. Talk about the color, surface, form, covering. Show beans of different kinds and colors.

Show pupils how to remove the skin, and lead them to see that it holds the parts together. Have them examine the halves and note the difference between them. They will soon discover the little white leaves and plumule nestling so snugly against the one half. Compare with growing plant.

Draw the bean or pea from time to time. Notice the first leaves and compare with those coming later. The dwarf varieties of beans and peas mature more rapidly and will form flowers and seeds before the closing of the school. Let pupils find names of the parts of the bean and peas and other plants. Talk about their differences and uses. The uses of the different parts of plants. How they eat, digest, sleep,

breathe, form seeds and die. The plant's food is derived by roots from the soil, air and water.

The plant observes the water and ammonia from its roots, drinks in the carbonic acid from the air and uses the sun waves to work them all up into food to be sent to all parts of the plant. The leaves act as the stomach of the plant and digest its food. Notice how the bean and pea leaves turn to the light. The garanium leaves in the windows do the same thing. Out of doors the leaves are all doing the same thing. Why? What does the sun do to help them? How do leaves and plants look when deprived altogether of the sunlight? The roots must take in water to get food for the plant. It uses the food and then gets rid of the water. The leaves have many little pores through which the water passes. The sun helps the leaves to do this by turning the water to vapor. The leaves breathe through these little mouths as well. They help us to keep the air pure, by breathing in and using the impure air which we and all animals breathe out. They make sap which helps the new leaves, buds and flowers to grow, and the seeds to form. Talk of the use of the flowers and seeds of these plants, and of those used for food in other countries.

LITERATURE.

"Little Brown Seed in the Furrow," Little Flower Folks. "The Mystery of the Seed," Lucy Larcom. "The Seed," Miss Arnold's "Waymarks." "The Coal, Bean and Straw," Grimm. "The Story of the Beans," Child World. "Jack and the Bean Stalk," (Adapted.) "Five Little Peas," Andersen.

THE SEED.

As wonderful things are hidden away
In the heart of a little brown seed,
As ever were found in the fairy nut,
Of which children sometimes read.

Over the pretty shining coat

We sprinkle the earth so brown,
And the sunshine warms its bed

And the rain comes dropping down.

Patter, patter, the son warm rain

Knocks at the tiny door,

And two little heads come peeping out

Like a story in fairy lore.

-Sel.

THE POTATO.

The potato will furnish material for another plant lesson. Pupils will discover that they are sprouting in cellar, and that farmers and gardeners are cutting them into small pieces and putting them in the ground.

Show them that each has a sprout and that each sprout is a little plant. The hard, white, juicy pulp under the skin of the potato is the food for the young potato plant or sprouts, which we see coming from the "eyes."

Before the baby plant awakes the potato is firm and plump. After it awakes and eats the food stored away under the brown coat, the potato shrinks. Why? The potato gives us food as well as the sprouts.

Let pupils find and tell you in how many and what ways the potato is useful. Let them cut slices of potato and collect starch. Let them plant potatoes and note how the plant will grow from a small part of the potato as well as from the whole potato. Let the children compare the Irish and sweet potato. Cut open and notice the skin, pulp, odor, and taste. Show them how to make a hanging basket of a large sweet potato.

Draw and paint both kinds. Tell them the story of "Sunny Eyes" (potatoes) in Van Kirk's Stories for the Kindergarten and Home.

A LITTLE GARDENER.

THE EARTHWORM.

How many of you have gardens of your own? What di you do to prepare the earth for seeds and plants? What tools did you use? I am thinking of some little gardeners who prepare, or help prepare, the soil for plants without using any of these tools. These little gardeners have no hands or legs. They loosen the soil about the roots of trees and plants without hoes, rakes or spades. I will tell you how. They swallow the earth until their bodies are filled. As they do this they eat the decaying matter which they find in it. (Explain.)

Then they wriggle out of the ground up to the light and empty the earth out of their bodies. The earth takes the shape of the earthworms' bodies, and is called castings. Did you ever find any of these castings? Suppose you go on a hunt for these and earthworms, and let us find out something more about them.

Do you know any other little people who'dig holes in the ground and make the ground loose and soft for roots to grow? What about the ant, the mole and the crayfish? When they dig their houses where do they put the earth from the underground rooms? Does this fresh earth help flowers to grow?

READING LESSON.

The earthworm lives in the earth.

It can crawl and burrow.

It has no eyes.

It likes to eat dead leaves.

It eats at night.

It lays its eggs in the ground.
The earthworm is a gardener.
It loosens the earth.

The earthworm makes fish bait.
Fish like to eat earthworms.
Moles like to eat earthworms.