Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: APPENDIX. The following simple directions are given for the benefit of those who have no experience in science-teaching: The exhibition of specimens of soils, plants, fertilizers, etc., and the performance of even a few experiments, will awaken in the minds of pupils a lively interest in the subject, cultivate the power of observation, and render the work of teaching pleasant and practical. Many illustrations, in addition to those mentioned, will doubtless suggest themselves to the minds of teachers. The figures refer to corresponding numbers in the text: (i.) Show to the class a specimen of soil, place a little on the end of a table-knife or spatula, and heat it over an alcohol-lamp until the organic matter is burned off. (2.) Exhibit to the class a sample of alluvial soil from a creek or river bottom. (3.) Exhibit pieces of sulphur, carbon, phosphorus, iron, lead, silver, etc., to illustrate what is meant by an element. (4.) Pulverize in a mortar a small quantity of potassium chlorate, and mix with it about one-fourth its weight of manganese dioxide (black oxide of manganese). Place the mixture in a test-tube or small glass flask, and apply the heat of an alcohol-lamp. Oxygen will be disengaged, as may be shown by lowering into the flask or test-tube a lighted splinter. The flame will be greatly increased, and,if blown out, and the splinter be again thrust into the flask, provided a spark be left, it will burst into flame. If a piece of red-hot charcoal or burning sulphur be lowered into the flask, it will burn with great energy. (5.) Place a few scraps of zinc in a deep wineglass, and pour over them a little water. Now pour in a little hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, and bubbles of hydrogen will rise through the liquid. Bring a lighted match to the mouth... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.