low voice is an excellent thing in woman." But if our young women are to continue in their present enviable position, as the educators of three-fourths the children, through their entire school years, they must wake up to the idea that regulation home habits of speech for the ordinary teacher, or regulation parlor talk in the cultivated, will not suffice to give to a dozen millions of American boys and girls that command of the mother tongue, both grammatical and oral, which is one of the most essential qualifications of real success in American life.

V.

We recently ran against one of the "unreconstructed" brotherhood, who was denouncing the education of the Negro, on the ground that a judge, somewhere, had sentenced 30 young negroes for forgery in one year. Ergo;-keep 8 milions of negroes a herd of ignorant serfs with the prospect of a new French evolution by 25 millions of the race for our grandchildren. The old chronicler took the same view of grandmother Eve; whose eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge and giving it to Adam caused the "fall of man" and the curse of inherited depravity. But the Church now-a-days is revising that old Asiatic commentary and is coming to appreciate the fact that our same progressive grandmother took Adam in charge and from the keeper of a menagerie and head gardener in his little Eden, led him forth into the wide world, made a n an of him, and so prevailed that even the children of unfortunate Cain became the fathers of Agriculture, of Cities, of Music and Manufactures; the original syndicate of human civilization. There is one strait gate and narrow way" through which every American child must walk the steep and rugged path to worthy American citizenship; and that is the Education of the head, the hand and the heart which alone can change the savage of any race or "previous condition" to true citizenship of the Republic. We should say that even the crime of forging a school certificate by a vicious negro who had learned to read and write and was permitted to keep school was a hopeful condition, campared with the mental and moral obfuscation of a member of the glorious Anglo-Saxon race, who would seriously urge this as a valid argument against the "education of the lower classes beyond their sphere."

Trials of a Beginner.

By L. I. G.

Why don't some of the teachers tell us of their trials outside of the school-room, also some laughable incidents? And why don't they confess their early failures and let us know that our schools are nɔ worse than some of theirs wer:? When I began to teach in the country, I knew my pupils would learn if they would only "behave," and I have spent several years in finding out what will make them "behave."

It is hard to go into a strange neighborhood and quickly gain the confidence of strangers, but, after I gained the respect of the pa ents, I had no trouble with the children. Perhaps it is with other young teachers as it was with me, I dared not confess any trouble I had at school, at my boarding-place, for it quickly flew over the neighborhood and the children heard how near they had conquered.

And I wonder if others have had the same "big boy," not the biggest in the school, but taller than the teacher, who was always respectful, but who was natura'ly restless and kept his part of the room out of order

I believe the teacher's social work outside of school hours determines her control of the school. Take an ac iv interest in the affairs of the neighborhood and the place will not seem so dull.

After the parts of the embryo and methods of storing nourishment have been explained, this knowledge should be applied to as many seeds as possible, the pupil examining many specimens to find number of cotyledons and whether or not albumen is present. This work should be accompanied by recor.s of results, and if posible by drawings.

Various experiments in germination may be undertaken to answer such questions as the following:- What seeds raise the cotyledons above ground in germination? Do plants grow in the night, or day, or both? Do roots elongate merely at the tip, or throughout their whole extent ? Result of planting seeds in various positions. Through how great a depth of soil will a large seed force its way toward the light?

Series of drawings may accompany the studies in germination, or carefully dated records of observations may suffice. For different kinds of experiments the method of planting may vary. Blotting paper or cotton moistened allows the whole process of growth to be easily seen, but for long continued development earth is better.

If botany is not studied in the fall, spring work in seeds may include study of means of dissemination. The study may be pursued by collecting and examining different instances of specialized fruits or seeds; ex. Seeds of Willow, and Cotton, fruits of Elm, Maple, Witch-Hazel etc. Each specimen collected should be described; i. e., besides the name, the label should state briefly the peculiarity illustrated.

Trees.

While it is desirable that all the class become familiar with the common trees, more detailed work can be done by specializing. One selects the Oaks, another the Maples, a third the evergreens, and each undertakes the task of determining the species at hand. This is not very difficult with good books of reference to consult. The pupil-specialist watches the trees through their different stages of development, learns the characteristic outline, bark, branching, leaf, flower, fruit; and if he enters into the spirit of the work, becomes an autho.ity to whom other members of the class refer puzzling questions in his department.

Or trees may be studied by streets, in a small town, different pupils being detailed to report on a given locality. Even after distinguishing marks have been thoroughly considered, frequent reviews in naming specimens at sight are necessary to fix the knowledge.

Motion.

Observations on this point include not only such striking and unusual motion as that of the Sundew, Sensitive Plant, Telegraph Plant, and Venus's Fly-Trap, but more famil ar and inconspicuous phenomena; the motions of tendrils and twining stems, also changes of position in flower or leaf at night-fall or in cloudy weather.

S ch work is most valuable in teaching patient, faithful observation. Certain plants must be singled out and watched at different

hours, long enough to ascertain the habit, which when ascertained

should be noted in the record-book.

Fertilization.

This subject suggests various interesting lines of observation. The action of pollen upon cvules having been studied early in the season, pupils are encouraged to watch for imperfect flowers, or for any peculiarities of structure in perfect flowers obviously demanding outside aid in fertilization. In imperfect flowers the question is to be settled whether the plant depends on the wind or on insects to do the work Besides the unanswerable argument of the presence of bees around the flowers, the presence or absence of showy attractive qualities may be safely considered as indications of importance in deciding the question, inconspicuous flowers being more apt to be wind-fertilized.

The children will naturally reason from effect to cause, and will infer that it must be an advantage to the flower to receive pollen from some other flower, else why so many provisions apparently pointing expressly to this end? And this fact once being established, they will not be surprised that insect-fertilization is sometimes necessary in perfect flowers. The grasses present an interesting study in this direction. Although so many of them have perfect flowers, stamens and pistils very frequently mature at different times, so that on one plant a brave array of stamens is hung out to the breeze, but no styles; while on another plant the order is reversed.

N°

By C. A. WOODARD.

O distinction should be made at present between the butterfly and moth, but in the lesson following the teacher should be careful to use as specimens nothing but butterflies,-reserving the moth for a lesson later in the course. It will be impossible to teach in one lesson all that is suggested in any one of these articles, and since the object is not to teach facts, the teacher should take plenty of time and by so doing will be able to create more enthusiasm in the work among the pupils.

In preparing lessons the teacher should improve every opportunity offered by the subject in hand. Lessons in science should be full of comparisons. The pupils should be encouraged to draw, but the teacher must remember to change the plan of work almost daily to avoid monotony. Some days have them draw; other days require them to write descriptions of what they have observed; and at other times allow them to tell orally in class what they have learned in some previous lesson. Occasional exercises in pronouncing and spelling difficult words which have been encountered in the work will be found beneficial. In fact, there is no end to the opportunities offered if the teacher is only able to discover and put them to the best use.

The Lesson.

First recall the fact that the butterfly has had a previous exist

ance.

But some perhaps who were inattentive will represent it like this:

(Notice that the picture represents the tongue coiled the wrong way.) Ask these pupils to correct their work which will impress upon their minds the importance of greater care.

Compare the head of the butterfly with that of the catterpillar and note the differences. During what stage in the evolution of the butterfly did these changes occur?

The singular and plural forms of such words as antenna-antennae; chrysalis-chrysalicles, should be given. Occasional exercises in adjectives derived from words like thorax-thoracic; abdomen - abdominal, will be found profitable, especially since the pupils have had occasion to make the application of the words in a study which interests them.

These articles are not intended to furnish all the matter necessary in teaching the subjects but rather to show how the sciences may be profitably taught in the lower grades of our public schools.

LEWIS CACE

RALPH HARNED

MARY KEARNEY

NELS ON MARION

F

*IRST and most important in our plant study is the endeavor

to inspire a love and veneration for nature; to teach children to see beauty in the world about them. Secondarily, the aim is to give the child that amount of knowledge that will enable him to study the science of bo any when he has the opportunity late: in the high scool or elsewhere.

Young children, much more readily than those of high school age, can be trained to see things accurately, and to tell the results of their observation. And our na'ure work should be begun in the kindergarten.

As soon as they can write they should begin to record their observations, and these records may be made the basis for compositions which should be of daily occurrence. Accuracy of composition comes only with much practice, and errors will dissappear even if teacher des not make correc ions, provided pupils have plenty of exercise in writing.

The necessary botanical nom nclature will come in incidently as the child finds need for a term to express his thoughts concisely. Definitions of te hnical terms should not be given to be learned. In some schools we find blackboards covered with definitions, and this is cal ed scie ce, sometimes. A tern used by the teacher as if it were a natural part of the child's vocabulary will be more readily assimilated into that vocabulыy tban ́f frst presented in the form of a definition. To ilustrate my meaning: While inspecting a c ass at wo k writing plant descriptions, one boy a ked me, "Is there a name for the end of the stem where the petals and stamens are fastened?' He felt the need of a single word to save a longer phrase and the word receptacle was given him. He found no diffi. culty in remembering it, for he had felt the need of it. When we are in this state we assimilate words to our vocabulary readily.

Individ al work may be done in this description of plants, and the active as well as the dull pupils given ample opportunity to do all they can. The devices for arousing enthusiasm are various. One school has a vase which is a horse-radish bc tile diverted to that use) for ea h pupil, in which he may keep the specimens he

collects. He then draws and describes specimens from his own vase as he finds opportunity during the day. Al are not doing the same thing at the same time, but each is doing what he can. One may be drawing his tenth specimen while his neighbor is describing his fourth.

The main things to be borne in mind are to develop an enthusiastic admiration and a deep love for nature, and then incidently with it, the power to describe accurately.

The accompanying i.lustrations of children's work were not the result of class exercises but of this plan of individual teaching.

Spring Flowers.

Ziffah Milityre buth School
Apple

3

Stamen

Section of blossom

Grade 18

Blossom

Leaf.

May 3, 1894

Grade IV.
The Beautiful Apple
Blossom.

Figure one is an apple blossom tat on April twentieth was in bud but Dow it unfolds its beauiful blossom. Now this blossom 1 as five petals and thea e snow-white. If you look through the microscope they sparkle like snow when the sun is up n it. Figure two is ralf of the bl som and it has three petals. We cn fee the inside of he Ovary and we se the little ovules. Figure 1br e is a stam en. It has two part. They are the an ther and the filament. Figure four is the pi til. The pistil is not the same as in the calyx of the cherry blossom. It is ore pist. divided into five styles. Figure five is an apple leaf. Its margin is cut and the veins in it

The calyx is green and is united at the bottom but spreads out into five sharp pointed se; als at the top.

The corolla of the apple blossom is the most showy part. It has five pinkish white peta.s which are attached to the calyx.

There are many stamens forming a circle around the pistil and they, too, are attached to the neck of the calyx. The upper half of the pistil is in five parts which are united for the lower half.

The ovary contains five cells and in each cell there is a few se: ds. The difference between the apple and the cherry is that the flowers and leaves do not come from the same bud on the cherry, and they do on the apple.

The calyx of the cherry is hollow for the most part but in the apple blossom it is filled with the ovary.

The sepals of the cherr, fall right back on the united part of the calyx but in the apple they stand out. South Sch ol, Grade V., May 7, 1894.

GEORGIE E. BERRY.

Grade VII.

White Baneberry.

I saw a flower this morning which grows in the same places as the Jack-in-the-Pulpit and the Anemone.

It grows about two feet high and the flowers grow in a bunch at

the top of the stem. In the centre of the flower there is a short thickened pistil, and ɛev ral stamens grow around it; before the flower expands there is a small green calix on it, but after it expands this calix falls off.

The leaf is net veined and resembles the Raspberry leaf very much.

The flower differs a great deal from any other flower that I have drawn but still it be ongs to the C owfoot family.

The botanical name is Actaea & lba.

The fruit is just the same as the Marsh-marigold, having the seeds in rows, but here we have only one 1 rge p'stil while the Marsh marigold has ever so many smal'er ones. Pleasant St. School, Grade VII. JERRY MCQUADE

Pleasant eft

Grade

Τ'

Fossil Fern

HE study of minerals is begun in the Clinton schools in September by all the elementary grades - Primary and Grammar. The work commences with the observation of local minera's collected by the children. In the lower Primary grades a few only of the prominent qualities of minerals are observed. The children are led to discover these qualities for themselves and encouraged to talk about them. Different minerals are compared and effort made to arouse independent thought. The telling and writing by the children of what they see and think about 'he various specimens, their uses, etc., form the basis for profitable and interesting language exercises.

In the upper Primary grades-fourth and fifth years- and the lowest Grammar grade, the work is extended so as to embrace more facts and inferences, and attention is given to local Geology in connection with Geography.

In the upper Grammar grades, seven'h, eighth and ninth, an outline of the Story of the Earth has been studied, accompanied with readings from Shaler's "First Book in Geology" and "Story of our Continent."

A colored chart representing the various stages in the formation of the earth's crust was prepa ed and used in each of these grades. Th's was of much value in fixing clearly the great geologic epochs. Local geology was studied in a simple way, excursions being made by individual pupils and classes to some of the more prominent f a ures of geologic charge and action about the town.

A collection of fossils, recently dona'ed, has greatly helped the children to realize the great facts told and pictured in their books. Wi'hout the aid of "a special teacher" this whole work was undertaken with not a few misgivings by the regular teachers, but interest and enthusiasm have carried it along to a pleasing and f.irly successful result.

Geology being at the base of all natural science, is it not eminently fitting that our "Nature Study," should begin at the ground floor and go up?

The drawings and composit' on here shown are work of pupils of

the ninth grade at the close of the Winter term. The pupils were required to write upon the three Ag s-Silurian, Carboniferous and Cretaceous,- and to make drawings of a few characteristic features of each age.

B.fore this work was called for, the pupils of the three upper Grammar grades bad written a brief sketch of their conception of how the earth was made and also had written upon local geology.

Story of Our Earth.

The Silurian age followed the Cambrian, and it was a very long period. We find in this period mostly sedimentary rocks such as limestone, sandstone and conglomerates.

In the Archaean Age a few dotted islands formed the Rocky and Alleghany Mountains. In the Cambrian Age they grew more together and in the Silurian it was about the same as it is now except the Gulf of Mexico joins the Mississippi.

The climate of this age was very warm. The first plants bad been found in the Cambrian Age and all had been found in the sea, such as seaweeds. These seaweeds were of the lowest rank, and had no roots. We now found land plants like ground pine, and this showed that the land was getting to be more like it is now.

The first animals had been found in the Cambrian Age, such as stone lilies and trilobites. The stone lilies had a mouth which was in the centre and from there went a number of feelers which enabled them to get their food.

The trilobites were jointed animals and had three lobes. They were the first animals that had any eyes. At the end of the Silurian Age they found the first fish with a backbone. These first fishes were all covered with scales and had strong jaws with large teeth. When they grew stronger they lost these scales and were able to swim faster. In the Devonian or next age there were many of these fishes. The first trace of insects was found something like our dragon-flies. Geologists know all this by studying the fossils that are found in the different layers of earth.

The Carboniferous Age is very important to us because the coal made in that period has given us light and warmth. The climate was warm and very moist, and the land was sinking and rising. The land was covered with forests, and the horse-tales often grew more than forty feet high.

We found no traces of flowering plants, and there were still no birds and no fruit.

The new animals found are amphibious. They lived in the swamps and fed upon fish.

In this age we have very extensive sheets of rocks which were formed in swamps. These beds of coal grew in the air, and we find some fossils which tell us that the land was making great progress; there are new insects, including beetles, spiders and scorpions.