OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14213, 14 May 1908, Page 3

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. (Conducted by Mabibtm, to whom all communications must be adiresitd.) Maqistir will be gild to receive N»lur« notes, marked papers containing educational Articles, diagrams, details of experiments •tc., of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents using » pen must ulso tend name *nd address.] AIMiOR DAY. This function has nearly died out, hut it should bo re, Minuted, though on different lines, l'or instance, the same day for treeplanting was fixed for the whole of the Dominion, though its extent from north to south and ,t« physical character make several dates necessary. J„ Victoria, Arbor Day celebrations are carried out 011 n large and sj-dematie seale through the agency of misrht"knnt', . Jn , ortlol ' that my readers might know what w being done in Victoria Vdr,tf lY "p I>lt!t,y fu " delilils fronl AnrH Gazette and Teachers' Aid.for April, and a supplement it contains. I iinnl -, Sa v' per . ha l' s > that the dates fixed upon 111 \ietoria are June 5, 12. 19, 20, «<>/ 'tl" eac ' l c ' atc ' 5 'dentinal with a specified area. Aitnou Day, 1908, With the experience gained in connection Previous Arbor Days teachers will be ableuo do oven better this year, and we ope that there will be no' 1 slackening of ertor. Ihe work is of national benefit, and should, be carried out with zeal. It will ie well to do some planting of trees, though it may be necessary to go outside the school grounds to find a suitable place, as tho playground should not bo sacrificed to trees and flower beds. AH applications for trees should be made to the secretary, Education Department, •Melbourne, not' to the Conservator of rests. So as to prevent overlapping and consequent loss of time and waste of trees, the applications should be forwarded by teachers only, not by boards of advice. Last year (1907) it was again found that some teachers were vpry dilatory in forwarding applications. Attention is specially directed to tho last, date for receiving applications—iiamely, May 18. Delinquents run the risk of not lieing supplied by the Forests department. All claims for expenses in conlioetion with the carriage of trees should be made on L 2 forms. If the charge for carnage is 5s or over the teacher should forward, with tho L 2 form 6igned by him, a receipted voucher for the amount paid to the carricr. No receipted voucher is necessary for amounts less than ss. As the Australian Natives' Association has taken considerable interest in tho establishment of school gardens, havjng given a pilzc for tho best in each inspectorial district, a copy of this circular will be sent to oaeh branch, with the hope that the members will co-operate with the boards of advice and the teachers in the Arbor Day movenienrt. Owing to elimatio conditions it would bo injudicious to plant trees throughout the State on the same day. The Forest Branch of the Department of Agriculture lias, therefore, indicated the boundaries of six areas within which planting may be effectively carried out on the same day. A suitable date has also been 'chosen for each area. Instructions to Head Teachers. 1. Head teachers should, 'in co operation ■with their Board of Advice, arrange a programme for the day's proceedings, and invite the parents and friends of the children to be present. (An outline programme' is given below.) ' 2. The holes for the trees arc to be dug and the ground prepared by the ohildren, under, your direction, before the day of planting. 3. The' trees should bo planted in aecordance with a definite plan, being arrcinged either in curves or in straight lines, according to circumstances, and with relation to buildings and grounds. They should not be placed eo hear the schoolhouse as to interfere with the freo play of light and air. .Several varieties 'of shrubs planted in clumps produce a pleasing effect. 4. Trees for planting may be obtained from the Conservator of Forests, Department of Melbourne (through, the Seoretary, Education Department); but. application should first bo made for them to the local authorities in districts where thore arc public parks or'■ gardens. (Teachers should specially npKKthis point, a s t.lio .supply of. trees, at the State nursery may Hot prove ,equaj 10. the demand.) W.hetihcr the troes can bo obtained locally or not, the enclosed form should be filled in as far as is necessary and forwarded to tljo Secretary, Education Department, so that it, may reach him not later than May 18, 1908.- , 5. fho roll is to be culled as usual in the morning, and the attendance then marked for tho whole day. 6. A concise report of the work done during Arbor Day i 6 to be sent to this ofliee. It should include a list of the names of the trees that were planted. 7. Care should be taken of the trees after they have been put in tho ground, It is suggested that each tree should be assigned to a certain number of children, who are to bo responsible for the of it, 8. 111 the case of school sites'that are unfenced it is recommended that tho local boards should be asked to provide, out of their allowance, the amount ncccssary for the erection of tree-guards, or endeavour to provide funds or labour for fencing liy arousing local effort. 9. If sufficient trees have already been planted in the schoolground another suitable place may be selected. In such a caso the co-operation of the municipal council should bo sought. Children might also bo encouraged to plant a tree in their home gardens as a memento of tho day. 10. If tho planting of shade trees cannot be carried out. an Arbor Day programme might be rendered and some work done in the school garden. An Outline Programme for Arbour Dav — Assemble at the usital time; soup; leading lesson; roll call. After the arrtal of tho Board of Advice and friends, teacher's introductory address; .socg; addresses by visitors; song; the reading of essays by children; song, readings and recitations; lesson 011 tree-planting or • ether appropriate subject; the planting of the trees; song. Forest Conservancy Office, Department of Agriculture, Melbourne. Free distribution lrom State nursery. Application for trees season 1908. N.8.-Can you obtain trees locally, free of cost to tJie department? 1. Name of applicant. 2 (a). Full postal' address; (b) nearest railway station; (c) whether it is a "prepaid" station or not; (d) what arrangement can be made for transit of trees from the station. 3. Purpose for which trees are required, whether for shelter belts, avenuo planting, or as specimen trees. i. Name of anv special trees you desire. 5. Mature of soil—if stonv, saudv, cbocoluto black, etc. 6. Characler of subsoil—if clay or rock, and tho depth of surface. 7. Average rainfall. 8. (a) Whether land to bo planted is exposed or sheltered;' (b) if exposed, lo what winds. 9. Aspect—if lowlying, hillside, swampy, or dry. 10. Whether land is drained artificially or naturally. 11. County in which school is situatod, and number of "area." (See Education Gazette 13th April, 1908). 12. Whether Eohool ground is planted or not. 13. Jieason, if you do not intend to observe Arbor' Day. " HER WALKS ABROAD." In these columns prominence has been given to Nature observations. No douty I have been wanting in arrangement, have been iinscientilic, and I don't know what not; but, all the same, I think a few of us have benefited by what I have published. Many an hour, at times, have I spent to get. some details about which I wanted a clear statement, as much for my own satisfaction as for the satisfaction of my readers; but I think the time has been well spent. Last week and the week before I drew attention to Nature's autumn dress, and a head teacher in one of our schools was prompted, by tho l'ofercnoc tb the Botanical Gardens with their wealth of autumn tints, to ask of the children in the lower standards how many of them had been to the Gardens, and "was surprised lo learn that fully half of them had not been there. Tho result was they were packed off with their teacher and had a good time. And tho Gardens suggest, another idea being worked out in a school of Greater Dunedin. How many children know the names of tho suburbs of Dunedin, tho prinjpal parks, streets, public buildings, tho statues and monuments? History and geography—local and Empire—can be given in connection with these. And why shouldn't they? Why should sights so familiar be meaningless? Bnt ulmt about, my hcaturg? Voll, I have taken it from an article by " ft writer in the Melbourne Age. Sh —I assume the writer is a woman—advoea>s more outdoor life and admiration of Nature. She imagines a party discussing the question. One is an artist, \ylio says that women will flook to see a picture, but Will not take the trouble to take a walk mid sec the prctnro represented, and then ho goo 6 on to say ; — "Women are funny things, anyway. If you suggested to the same women that they should so for % walk, they wo'ild

probably cay, ' What for?' One appalling one amongst them would be quite safe lo snub poor Mother Nature by saving she Liked 'walking with an object.' One dear woman I knew used to walk a couple of miles whenever she could lo sec Ihe sun set from a certain point. Her friends got anxious-thought there was .something the matter with her. I'm not saying that men arc any heller—l would not for the world, —but it does seem a reflection on our muchvaunted culture that women who arc supposed lo have a soul for the beautiful should fail lo see an object : n almost anv walk." There then takes pari in the conversation a woman w!'.oi;c life six months before was hanging in Ihe balance, but who was sent lo the hills, where, she says, she strolled back to life. To this a doctor gives an approving nod, and remarks:--"'My dear woman—you found health in those walks because you had learned to appreciate the beautiful in Nature,' retorled the artist. 'A gril who had been brought up to. consider tennis, hockey, rounders, and ultimately golf, as the only form of exercises worth considering, would proliably have been bored. You know something about trees, and quite n lot about birds, and I've felt quite proud when I've heard you talking wild flowers. Nature I reals women like you very kindly.' Von mean my lather and mother treated me kindly,' replied the woman. "Ralph Waldo Trine enjoins mothers to put a microscope or a camera into a boy's hands instead of a pea rille. Lots of us women 1 might take the hint. We don't advise guns, certainly, but we bring up our children in such ignorance of tho "manuscripts of Clod" that it is small wonder they seo nothing in a country walk. When I was a small child at school, I used to be pointed out as the girl who didn't mind tarantulas. It was considered' almost unmaidenly.' Nature study is effecting a wonderful change among school children." A shining light in the scholastic world was evidently on tile defensive. Her statement was speedly endorsed. Then a journalist chips in:— If you ask me anything about it, it is Nature study that i 6 going to bring country walks into favour. I was out with SUJ young Nature students the other day. Dozens of them talked to 1110 about how they had walked U> this place to sec that, and to the other place lo see something else, and I have never seen more enthusiasm among rival hockey teams. Of course, there .will always be women who wili walk for the incro love of walking, and a few who will go out to look at sunrises—oh, 1 beg pardon (this to the artist) 1 mean sunsefs, but. the majority of everyday women want a definite object. That object may ho beetles, or it may bo a bit ot the coastal plain, or it may be somothuig' in ferns and flowers. If you give children—especially girl children—an object of this sort, you n*jed only turn them out in the country to find their pleasures. You needn't worry any about their getting bored." Another then lakes up the running: — I don t worry about that very much,' broke in a motlier of tho practical variety. 'My girls should havo been gipsies. What I am worrying about at present is holiday camp etiquette. Those young; people joined a camp at Easter—joined it so as they could get as much bathing and walking as they wanted. That's no small order, I can tell you. I can't, leave home to go carnping—and 'I don't want to, either; but I thought I had better call in on Iho young people on Sunday. It meant a .train journey and a Jong cab. drive. What 1 found at Iho end of it was half a dozen girls, threo hoys, and a long suffering aunt. Tho last-mentioned ; individual didn't seem very keen on camp "life, but the boys and girls were enjoying tho situation with much thoroughness, it really was a picturesque holiday, 'they are rational young people, and a folding (able, a few deck eha|rs, and a couple of hammocks were arranged in unite attractive fashion. Once on a, time amateur camping out meant a dikracting £ ort of muddle, but tho tea those three boys and girls gave us opened my eyes to a lot of things. The chops were grilled, the tomatoes fried and tho toast made quite admirably. The boys wore white sweaters and duck trousers. The girls wore white sweaters and short galatea skirts, and the camp was as noat as the youngsters themselves. They were putting in excellent time, but there's 110 uso pretending that the long-suffering aunt was anything moro than an oflicial -chaperon All she saw of J jer oharges wouldn t. have .hurt anyone. Tho question IS, If a party of youiig people can have advantage 0 f wmi) i n g out (] o [j„] lt{u j surroundings, and can learn incidentally 1 to cook > keep their 'tents and themselves presentable, and lake a proper amount of the healthiest exercise, should you discourage their amusement for the sake of appearances?'" Then a lady speaks who eanliot get away mto the country, saying cffect that the beauties of Nature are not for those cribbed, coftmcd, and confined in cities. And she gets an answer that applies to many of us Dunedin folk. Please read, and then pay periodic visits to the wardens, anu to some of our many beauty spots within easy aecoss: it "^ v -? vou cvor 60R " '' 1C ' eavCT fall in the Inhibition (iardens-tho leaves from the Oriental planes in the avenue? Have •vou 'ricd a brisk walk from Malvern to the Malvern Gardens, or from Jlooneo lends to Queen's Park? Do you know the smell tho Botanical Gardens 011 a wet morning, or, the Fitzroy Gardens.before sundown? Have you walked alongfhe Alexandra drive' before breakfast? Thero areas many wild birds in some of our public gardens as there aye in the bush, and some of us—well, some of us like tamo flowers and smooth lawjns, and 6tately avenue.?. I can bear to prefer, the fragrance of musk in the gullies when I stand to windward of a rose garden, and I frankly admit I would like hills better if I could go over them by tram. Anyway, no one who has time and inclination lo

wall: need slay at, homo wlicn*Melbourno lias so linieli on hand wherewith lo tempi fhem out. , "'la » now view'—l ho company was breaking up, as the journalist row to go— ' the city lies its moments, and we all have our chances.' '"And we mean (o make the most oi them,' «aid the artist, as lie walked Iho I doctor otF lo look for another sunset.' " j CORRESPONDENCE. | - "Perplexed" asks a (|uestion on "spouting' —not electioneering spouting, but J whale spout inpf. The following is taken from "'Hie ltoyal Natural History" "As ' there is frequently some inisconecption as ■ lo ihe so-called 'spouting' or 'blowing' of cetaceans. a few words are advisable on this point. When a whalo comes to the, surface of the water after a longer or shorter period of submergence, its first i act is to discharge the air from the lungs j previous to taking a fresh inspiration. The j air is expelled from the lungs with great ! for«>, and thus rises a considerable height ! above the surface of the water, and, as it is saturated with water-vapour, at a high temperature the contact with the cold air at once condenses this vapour, which forms a column of strain or spray. Frequently, however, a wliale commences to ' blow' boforo its nostrils arc actually above the .surface, and then a certain amount of sea water is forced up with the column of air." , In brief, just us the moisture in our exhaled breath is changed into vapour by contact with cold air, so the breath of a whale shows the same characteristic. Dr Bcnham is giving a fine series of lectures and demonstrations just now, and in one of the first lie broadly distinguished mammals from other animals as having hairs on its body and teals, and as the doctor lias given me permission to quoto from his lectures I shall from time to ' I lino give information and make suggestions tho result of work done by. or under, his direction. I might soy here, too, that at the annual meeting of the Otago Educational lastitute to bo held in July Dr Benham will in all probability give a lccture which will be very helpful to teachers who are really interested in Nature-study. This by the way. Belle's meteorological note is interesting as showing that tho temperature at Croydon for April has not fallen so low as at Ranfurly. Will Belle add, if possible, one or two more of tho details Mr Roberts gives? Mr Young's note on two fuchsias, and on Violet's specimen in particular, I'll publish next week, and fairly full notes from Uhceseman and other sources. So far, I fancy Mr Young's conclusions are not correct. Cheeseman doesn't mention "Fuchsia kirkii at all. Perhaps a further note on whales will be acceptable to my younger readers:— Whales resemble ourselves, and not fishes, in that— 1. They breathe atmospheric air. 2. Their blocd is warm, .3. They have lungs. i They II3VO nostrils on the top of tie head, though. ' 5. They have a skin at one time hairy,/ and not. scaly. 6. They have teats, and suckle their young. 7. Their young are boni alive. 8. Their heart has four cavities, as ours ha%e. 9. Tho cavity of the body is divided into two parts by a- midrib. 10. Though there is ; iio collar-bone, the flippers contain bones corresponding to Hie shoulder blade, the humerus or bone of lie upper arm, the radius and ulna of the lower or forearm, and lo t'nc fuigers. No doubt there are other similarities, butthese occur lo me just now. The whaling industry used to bo a very nourishing one in New Zealand. "Animals of New Zealand" says iliat as many as 300 vessel* a yea\r came from America lo ''whale" in New Zealand waters. Three hooks I might suggest should be in every teacher's library—teachers are highly paid, to wai afford tho luxury of a library—or in the school library: ''Animals of New Zealand." just mentioned; " Murihiku and the Southern lslauds"-4hc Hon. R. ii' Nab went to the American whaling ports for information on the whaling -days of Otago and Southland; and "Tho Cruise of tho Cachalot"—it is well written, supposed to be a truo account, and can ]>e got for sixpence. Of course, there arc other books 100, but these three contain information on whales. I might add that a whale spouts or exhales and inhaics, a breath onoo In about, three-quarters of an hour, and tliat if kept under water, a 6 has occurred more than once, it drowns! 1 might add, too, that the sperm whale 'lias' only one blowhole. Jlr llobcrte's April meteorological observations have been showing the dilferer.ee .between a coast and an inland climate in temperature. For the summer months the average maximum was higher than with us, while the average minimum was lower for April than with us, and the number of frosty nights much greater. Again, we seldom or never get six degrees of frost in Duiiedin. La6t week a correspondent asked bow lo grow maize, and I submitted the query to Mr Tamiock, who kindly supplies tho following notes: — Field Cultivation. 1. The soil is ploughed, manured, crossploughed, cultivated, and harrowed to form a line seed-bed. 2. Drills are thrown up every throe feel, and in most cases cross drills drawn also every three feet, thus forming hills tliTee leet apart. 3. Four to six sec-ds are planted two inches deep on oacli hill, and if t.hcy all germinate •the plants arc thinned out to two, four, or six, according to the fertility oi the land. 4 When about ISin to 2tt high the plants sre earthed up. and a little manure dusted on the hills will help them. Sulphate of ammonia, dried blood, or superphosphate; keep weeded. 5. After female flowers are fertilised tho male flowers are removed. C. When ripe, the cpbs are pulled off, the husk, removed, and the com taken oil by means of a nrechine. To shell corn by hand is a slow process. 7. The best cobs are selected and hung up ! to provide seed for next crop. Foil Gardkn Decok.vtion in and Near DUNEDIN. 1. Sow seeds in boxes or pots in August and place in gentle heat. 2. When large enough to handle, prick out into boxes of fairly rich soil, same as stocks and asters. 3. Phnt out car'.y in November in sheltered situation. Cobs will appeal and the seeds ripen by April. (We picked some ripe cobs to-day) The pupils of the Otokia school send me some brilliant rod star-shaped fungus growing on. a stalk like a mushroom. What is it?® I am sending it to Mr Thomson, who might help us again. What should we do without Dr Benham, F. 11.5.. Mr Ci. .M. Thomson. F.L.S.. F.C.S., " Old Boy," and "Ornithologist ! We now have a small army of observers, but these gentlemen are the Ca;sars we appeal lo as Ihe final court. Ranfuxly, May 1. . Dear " Magistcr,"—The undermentioned arc the meteorological records for the month of April, as recorded at the above station—Yours truly, A. W. Roberts. Maximum temperature in screen, 71deg, on , the Ist; minimum temperature in screen, Mdeg, on the 30th; minimum tenipcraturo terrestrial radiation, 19deg, on the 30th; 1 average maximum temperature in soreen, 57.5deg; average minimum temperature in | screen, 34.9deg; average minimum terrestrial | radiation, 30.13deg; number of nights on I which irost occurred in screen, 12; number of I nights on which frost occurred on ground, 19; j rainfall, l.GOin oil 10 days; maximum fall, g 1.4 Gin, on the 4th. I Rainfall since January to date, 5.91 in; number of rainy days to dale, 31. Croydon (Gore), May 5. Dear " Megister,"—l enclose summary of weather observations to the month.—Yours truly, Belie Biggar. Rain fell on 21 days. Total rainfall, 3.5 in; highest rainfall, sth April, ,G4in; average maximum temperature, Gl.lGdeg; maximum J temperature, 22nd April, 79deg; average minimum temperature, 14.8deg; minimum temperature, 16th April, 31dcg. Dear r - Magistcr,"-What docs a whale spout? Air or water, or both? The accuracy of a statement made in 'the Third Imperial Reader lias been questioned, and as I don't know much abaut whales 1 thought I would refer it to you. In the book referred to (page I 153, paragraph G) there is a statement made 8 to this effect: "It drives into the air a stream j of water from two blowholes."—Yours truly 18 Pebplexed. *' ! J