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Winship

Attacks

The Journal hesitated to make any reference to, or comment upon, the Howison incident in the Howison Alameda county (California) institute in the autumn. The excitement ran high for a while and did not need fanning. It seemed unaccountable to us, knowing Professor Howison as we have known him, that he should have given forth utterances that could even have been misconstrued into what he was reported to have said, but he is not alone in making careless utterances. While it is improbable that selected paragraphs fairly represent him, yet the judgment of those in whom the Journal has reason to have confidence is that the general tone of Professor Howison's address was one of attack upon the public schools, and that the charge that the public schools were directly or indirectly responsible for the increase of intelligent villainy was implied thruout. The Journal has neither faith in, nor patience with, any such charges or insinuations, and while it does not feel called upon to argue a case that has but one side, it does wish to enter in its columns the resolutions prepared by Professsr T. O. Crawford for the institute, but which were ruled out of order:

Resolved, that the teachers of Alameda county assembled in this county institute do most emphatically repudiate and condemn the statements made here before this institute (by Professor Howison of the State University), couched in the following language:

"The skilled forger and counterfeiter got his knowledge in the school, and didn't get something else he should have had. The effect of the public school system is to make criminals. lack of a recognition of the distinction between vocation schools The and liberal schools in the present system of teaching turns out crooks and criminals. Now, don't say that I say that the whole school system is making criminals, for I do not. It is the lack of a true distinction between primary and secondary education." -Oakland Enquirer, Wednesday evening, October 27, 1897.

Resolved, that such statements are as devoid of truth as they are of sense, as devoid of philosophy as they are of logic.

Resolved, that we regard such statements coming from such a source as calculated, if allowed to go out into the world unchallenged and unrefuted, to wound unto the death that system of free education which we believe, in spite of some defects, to be the most beneficent the world has ever witnessed.

Resolved, that we still have unbounded faith in our public school system and in the men and women who are concerned in its administration; and that we pledge each other to stand as a unit against the blows of its honorable, outspoken enemies, as well as against the foolish, unjust, and even untrue attacks of those to whom in the past we have looked as the trusted champions of a righteous cause.

Resolved, that the teachers of this institute assert the natural right of all free men and free women everywhere to register their condemnation of this false accusation; that a copy of these resolutions be by the secretary forwarded to Professor Howison, in order that he may know how completely we repudiate such sentiments, even when they are uttered by the foremost philosopher among us.

There is no question but that these resolutions express the convictions and sentiments of the great body of teachers of America. It is in order for Professor Howison, or any one else, to give any proof that there is a shadow of truth in such insinuations. The Journal of Education stands ready to pay $100 for facts upon which any man can reasonably base such charge as that which Professor Howison is said to have made at the Alameda county institute. Whenever the editor of the Journal has heard such assertions made he has made this offer on the spot, and has always forced the man making the charge to admit that he did not have one fact to produce. The Journal is certain that no man in the world can produce facts to justify a suspicion even that the public schools are directly or indirectly responsible for the increase in the intelligent or unintelligent criminality of the country. The boys have a very sharp way of saying, "Put up or shut up.' This might be paraphrased into "Show up or shut up," but it would lack dignity.-A. E. WINSHIP.-New England Journal of

Education.

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The Continuous One of the wisest suggestions of State Superin
Session of our tendent Black in his article on the "Certification
State Normal of Teachers" was that the usefulness of our Nor-
Schools. mal Schools might be enhanced if they were in

continuous session.

If teachers who have been denied Normal training could ceiving Normal Instruction, it would greatly improve the teachspend two or three months each year during their vacation in reing force.

If graduates of the Normal Schools could have the advantage of a post-graduate course of two or three months each year, it would keep them in touch with educational thought.

The continuous session movement is likely to bring permanent results.

The State of Minnesota has already adopted the plan for its Normal Schools and Universities, also the Chicago University, and the Ellensburg State Normal School, Washington, is now making arrangements to open its doors this summer.

*

*

The Necessity of an Has a journal devoted to the interests of the
Educational public schools and the teachers, any right and
Journal.
a necessity for existence? It has. Because it

is a medium of communication. It is true that a daily paper has
larger circulation and prints all the items of educational news, but
it is also true that it is printed in such a manner as to make no
impression upon the educational public unless it is in case of crime.
Purely professional news; the comment upon professional books;
professional methods and illustrations and instruction upon topics
of the time are of the greatest importance to the real life of the
teacher.

A doctor does not fail to read his medical journal, and he is as much interested in the one of his locality as in the one of a journal has its field and is entitled to support provided it is a broader field. It is a part of his profession. The local teachers' credit to the profession. It is a crime to support a poor journal, and no journal is worthy of support that does not keep the teachers in touch with the educational progress. reached a circulation that places it on an average in one half of This journal has now the schools of the Pacific Coast States, but it has only been within the past six months that the teachers came to its support, and now that they recognize its permanency their patronage is all passed the following resolution: that could be desired. The California Teachers' Association

"We recognize in the WESTERN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION a helpful and progressive journal."

Professional

Training.

*

The quickening spirit of educational thought has been growing here on the western shores. It has reached the Hawaiian Islands. gathering. The centre of its life is in the two great universities. It is noted in every educational At Berkeley, where Dr. Brown has associated with him such able men as Dr. Bailey, Dr. Dresslar and Prof. T. L. Heaton, In order to meet the demands of the teachers who are regularly employed, Dr. Brown has arranged for Saturday lectures, and has sent out the following:

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During the second term of the current year, beginning January 10th Prof. Dresslar will lecture at 9:25 A. M., Saturdays, on the " Practice of Teaching." He will be largely assisted by Mr. Heaton. Other lectures in this course are given on other days of the week; but those given on Saturdays will be of interest to teachers who cannot take the course in full. Prof. Brown's course of "Studies in Secondary Education" will be given on Saturdays required nor University credit given for such attendance. The tend these Saturday sessions will be welcomed as visiting members Any teachers who can regularly atof the classes. Ordinarily, University matriculation will not be classes will meet in Room 25, North Hall."

from 10:20 to 12:10 A. M.

THE CERTIFICATION OF
OF TEACHERS.

An Important Address of Hon. S. T. Black, at the California Teachers' Association, Touching Vital Issues of the Teaching Profession.

A CERTIFICATE OF QUALIFICATION DEMANDED. In all callings of a public nature requiring expert knowledge, custom or statutory provision demands some form of certificate of qualification at the hands of those seeking public confidence. The lawyer, the doctor, the dentist, the pharmacist, must exhibit their diplomas of graduation from a reputable professional school, attesting their fitness to begin the practice of their respective professions. The ship captain, the engineer, the army and naval officer must arm themselves with similar evidences of preparation. Our civil service rules, like those of Great Britain and other leading European countries, admit only the best-qualified candidates to positions of trust, as tested by competitive examination.

THE TRUE TEACHER NEVER FULLY TRAINED.

The true teacher is never fully trained. Each day's work only adds to the training already acquired-it is only a part of an apprenticeship that never ends-and this is true in all protessions.

an adequate amount of preparation is necessary to guide and direct the novice in the solution of the ordinary problems common to all school work, and the recommendations I shall make in this paper are intended to apply to those persons who desire to become teachers-not to those already trained, no matter whether that training has been acquired by professional preparation or by actual contact with the problems themselves, California has reached that point in her educational history-and I speak from personal observation in fifty out of the fifty-seven counties of the State-when she should demand that those who would, in the future, enter her schools as teachers, shall approach as nearly as possible the high plane now occupied by the experienced teachers of the State. I favor the preparation of teachers at public expense-it should be done in the future as far as practicable, prior to taking up the actual work and responsibility of the teacher, which from the nature of things call for ability, scholarship and expert knowledge.

SHOULD BE MORE NORMAL SCHOOLS.

California, with her 160,000 square miles of area has but three State Normal Schools; another will be opened within a year. We are justly proud of these professional schools. They have no superiors in the United States. But there are counties so remote that it is almost impossible for young people ambitious to teach to attend any of them. If our Normal Schools were smaller and more generally distributed thruout the State, their usefulness would be more generally felt and appreciated by the patrons of our schools. Again, the usefulness of these schools might be materially enhanced if they were in continuous session or if their vacations came at a different time than the usual school vacations, thus allowing those teachers who, from no fault of theirs, were denied Normal School training to attend ten to twelve weeks each year. So far as climate conditions are concerned this could be done at San Jose, Los Angeles and San Deigo. Such teachers ought to receive credit for their attendance and study, and in due time receive their regular diplomas of graduation.

TOO MANY STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS.

During the early periods of the State's history the schools were divided into first, second and third grades, and certificates were issued to correspond with these grades, the first valid for three years, authorizing the holder to teach in first-grade schools, the second, valid for two years, authorizing the holder to teach in second-grade schools, and the third valid for one year and granted only to women authorizing the holder to teach in third grade schools. These were local certifica es, and were valid only in the county or city issuing the same. Besides these, cities issued high school certificates, and the State granted life diplomas, educational diplomas, and certificates of the first, second and third grade, valid thruout the State. The educational diploma was at that time grant ed on examination, and not on experience and recommendation as now; the first grade State certificate was good for four years, and the other grades for the same length of time as county certificates

of corresponding grades. In the course of time the third grade certificate was dropped from the list, and still later, the grammar and primary grade certificates supplanted the old first and second grade papers. For a brief period the grammar school course certificate was issued to meet the requirements of the Caminetti law, establishing grammar school course schools. These certificates were finally merged into the present high school certificates. The scholastic requirements for the old first grade certificates, which at that time were established by law, were very similar to those of the present grammar grade, the only professional branch being the Theory and Practice of Teaching, in which no applicant ever failed the test studies being almost universally spelling, grammar and arithmetic. The law still fixes the requirements for the grammar grade and high school certificate to the discretion of the several County Boards of Education thruout the State; thus it is possible to have fifty-seven different standards of requirements for those two very important certificates when granted on examination.

NEW LAWS NEEDED TO GOVERN CERTIFICATES.

Whatever may be said, either for or against the means of ascertaining the qualifications for teachers, at the present time or in the past, I think it is generally conceded by the intelligent teachers of the State that these means have outlived their usefulness, and that the time has arrived in the educational history of the State of California when the pressing necessities of the schools demand a modification of the present law relating to the issuance of teacher's certificates.

I would suggest for your consideration that the law be so amended as to provide three certificates instead of three grades of certificates as at present, and that each one of these be first class in itself-nothing is too good for the children of California. First, we need the kindergartens certificate. At present there is no law for the issuance of such certificates, and Los Angeles, San Jose and other places that have established kindergartens have had to resort to various devices to obtain legal certificates for kindergarten teachers. Second, there should be but one certificate for the elementary schools. The distinction between the primary and grammar schools is an arbitrary one-ranging all the way from the first four years of school work, in some counties, to as high as eight years in others. Besides, why should not the primary grades have just as good teachers as the grammar grades? If any distinction should be made the primary grades should be given the preference. Third, the high school certificates; the examination for this certificate should permit a certain amount of election by the examinee.

The various subjects should be arranged into groups of equivalent value, allowing the candidate to make his selection, or the election. might be even broader than this by permitting the applicant to select such branches as he pleased, providing his selection were the equivalent in value to any one of the groups. The certificate, when granted, should be a full high school certificate. High school teachers being to a large extent specialists, it is patent to all why the elective feature should be adopted in the examination. Each of these three certificates being of the first grade should be issued for the full period of six years, and renewable from time to time, for a like period, without the payment of any fee whatsoever so long as the holder should teach successfully or until the necessary success and the experience has been acquired that shall entitle him or her to a State life diploma.

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATES. Regarding the requirements for the certificates, it is not so difficult a matter to arrange for the granting of certificates on credentials. The real difficulty lies in the attempt to make the result of an examination as satisfactory as official knowledge of thoro academic and professional training. In the very nature of things, this can never be (and this is true of all professions), but California is not yet in a position to abolish examinations as a test of a person's qualification to teach.

Certificates based on credentials approach nearer to uniformity

than those based on examinations.

THE WESTERN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.

In order to secure the free exchange of county certificates, we ought to come as near uniformity as the present method of certification will permit. The examination requirements for all certificates should be stated in the law, as is now done in the matter of primary grade certificates, and boards of education should agree upon the standards in examination, and having so agreed, the certificates granted by one board ought to be recognized by every other board in the State. Perhaps the present system of county examinations is not the best, but it has been established by a constitutional provision, and we must do the best we can with existing conditions.

AMENDMENTS TO THE LAWS SUGGESTED

Section 1775, which provides for the granting of certificates on credentials, ought to be amended somewhat.

Boards of Education ought to be empowered to grant certificates on California educational and life diplomas. Of course these diplomas are certificates, and valid thruout the State, but there are boards of education that conscientiously question this position. Therefore, to remove all doubt in the matter, these diplomas ought to be restored to their former place among credentials, whence they were taken by the Legislature in 1891. I question the wisdom of granting certificates on the educational and lite diplomas or life certificates of other States, as there are so many different standards upon which such diplomas are granted, varying all the way from no experience whatsoever to ten years. tained it ought to be modified so as to require satisfactory evidence If this provision is rethat the diplomas or certificates presented here are the equivalent in scholarship and experience required in our own State for such diplomas. Nor should certificates be granted on the diplomas of graduation from normal schools of other States unless such schools are recommended by the State Board of Education as being of equal rank with our California State Normal Schools. normal schools grant what is called an "elementary diploma' to Some of these persons who have finished a partial course-some of them, too, have courses of study and standards of admission that are inferior to those of our own schools.

JUSTICE TO ALL SUCCESSFUL TEACHERS.

Section 1521, which provides for the issuance of life and educational diplomas by the State Board of Education, ought to be amended in such a manner as to do equal justice to all classes of successful teachers. At present it provides for the granting of such diplomas only to high school and grammar grade teachers, denying similar privileges to successful teachers of the primary grade. Now, so long as the law has recognized the primary grade certificate it ought to recognize succcess in primary grade work and reward the worthy holder of such certificate by issuing a State primary diploma on the same terms that it does the grammar and high school diplomas. There are in the State to day scores of worthy primary grade teachers who are compelled to pay a fee of $2 every two years to have the certificate the law has given them renewed, when such renewal has been fully earned by earnest, faithful, and intelligent work. If, by any chance-illness or otherwise they fail to make application for a renewal at the proper time their occupation is gone until they submit themselves to another official test of their ability to do the work they have so successfully done for years. Is it not absurd? If the suggestion herein made relative to the issuance of kindergarten certificates be carried out by the Legislature, then section 1521 ought to provide for a State kindergarten diploma on the same terms as other diplomas are granted. Again, the present high school, life and educational diplomas are only limited certificates, of little more value in law than special certificates.

years,

These diplomas should be granted, too, on showing successful experience for eighty months for life diploma, and forty months in case of the educational diploma, instead of ten and five the present requirements. Again, a new section ought to be added, relieving all the high-school, educational and life diplomas now held by teachers, of the effect of the limitation clause, so that they may become, in both law and fact, full high-school certificates. I have discussed this question only from the standpoint of the pressing necessity to the schools themselves for the reforms indicated.

It has been estimated that there are between 800 and 1000 teachers in this State who cannot get positions is aware of the keen competition resulting from this surplus of Every one of us teachers. If the result of this severe competition were to secure the best teachers for our schools, it would not be so disastrous. It

is, however, otherwise, and the tendency is to give the positions. to those teachers who will accept them for the least salary. The first schools to suffer from cheap teachers are those in the rural districts, which need added strength-not weakness.

CERTIFICATES IN FORCE A SOLEMN CONTRACT.

In altering the law for the certification of teachers the utmost care must be exercised to preserve all the rights and privileges now enjoyed by the present holders of certificates-no matter of what grade. The certificates now in force are a solemn contract, and no legislation should be permitted that might impair in any way the rights conferred.

As to legislation on this, or any other school question, I am of the opinion that the teachers of this State can obtain whatever legislation they may agree upon. by features of a certification bill-leaving all details to be worked out If we can agree on the general committee-and then stand by that bill, even if we do not concur in every detail, and interest our representatives in the Senate and Assembly, we can secure this much needed reform at the hands of the next Legislature.

biennial convention of superintendents by the appointment of a The importance of this question was recognized at the last committee of seven to report a plan of certification. The committee was composed of thoughtful and experienced superintendents; yet the time for consideration was so short, and the minds of committeemen so occupied with other important matters before the convention, that the resuits arrived at, though valuable. out much discussion, as the time for final adjournment was at and suggestive, were unsatisfactory even to the members of the committee. The report was adopted by the convention, but withhand when the report was submitted. A subsequent attempt to formulate a bill based on the report demonstrated the impracticability of some of its features, due entirely to the lack of time for consideration by both the committee and the convention.

To sum up, I recommend the issuance of certificates as follows:
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.

1. Kindergarten primary school certificates, valid for six
years, authorizing the holders thereof to teach in the kindergarten
department of any primary school in the county.

izing the holders thereof to teach in any grammar school or pri-
2. Elementary school certificates, valid for six years, author-
primary schools.
mary school in the county, except the kindergarten department of

3 High-school certificates, valid for six years, authorizing
the holders thereof to teach in any high school, grammar school
or primary school in the county, except the kindergarten depart-
ment of primary schools.

leaving this question for future consideration.
I make no recommendation regarding special certificates -

Requirements (a) That the minimum scholastic qualifications for the kindergarten and elemen'ary school certificates be the equivalent of the high school course, and for the high school certificate the full equivalent of a good college or university course. (b) That to these scholastic requirements, the:e must in each instance be added suitable professional preparation or study.

Credentials - Section 1775 should be so amended that: (a) Certificates may be granted on California educational and life diplomas. (b) The State Board shall inquire into the value of Normal School diplomas of other States, and "accredit" such schools as are the equal in rank of our own State Normal Schools. (c) I question the wisdom of granting certificates on the educational and life diplomas, or life certificates of other States for reasons hereinbefore mentioned.

Life and educational diplomas
amended as to authorize the issuance by the State Board of Edu-
Section 1521 should be so
cation of four kinds of life and educational diplomas: (a) High
school life and educational diplomas. (b) Grammar school life
and educational diplomas. (c) Primary school life and educa-
tional diplomas. (d) Kindergarten life and educational diplomas.
(e) Each of the foregoing diplomas to be a full certificate to teach,
and valid thruout the State. (f) The life diploma to be granted
on eighty months' successful experience, and the educational di-
ploma on forty months' successful experience. (g) The present
high school diplomas should be made full high school certificates,
instead of being limited as they now are.

Beauty and goodness are one and the same thing.

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PRIMARY METHODS

CHAS A. MCMURRY

Of the Chicago University. Author of McMurry's General Method, and Special Method in Science, &c. The following illustrative lesson for primary grades shows the full treatment given a subject.

The Austrian Pine.

(A Winter Study.)

Did the Christmas tree surprise you on Christmas eve? What did it bring you that you did not expect? When the presents were all off and the decorations removed, had it any more surprises for you? You did not care for the bare tree, then? This bare Christmas tree has greater surprises for you than the presents gave. It is full of secrets which few people find out. Would you like to find some of them out, all by yourselves?

But we must become better acquainted with the tree before we expect it to tell us any secrets, and we will visit one that has not been cut down. What kind of a tree was the Christmas tree? Why was an evergreen chosen? What was its name? Did you think all evergreen trees were alike? The children find out by examining the foliage of different evergreen trees that they differ greatly. The other differences will be discovered later.

We will visit the tree with the long, stiff needles. I will introduce you to it. Austrian Pine, these are my little boys and girls who wish to visit you often.

On this first day the children learn to distinguish the Austrian pine from other evergreen trees by its general appearance. They know it by the shade of green of its dress; its straight, pointed trunk; its arms or branches which extend out nearly straight from the trunk, then curve upwards; its number of branches starting out from the same circle and reaching out in different directions; the gradual shortening of the branches from below upward. After learning to recognize the tree readily, the children make drawings, showing its general shape. This is the picture of the naked tree as it looked after it had lost its leaves in the story of "The Unhappy Pine Tree." Is it pretty? What gives beauty to the tree? Its dress. And this is a wonderful dress. Let us see of what it is made. (Each child has a small twig.) It is made of needles. And the needles are put up in packages, only two in a package. The wrapper which holds them together is around only one end.

Let us look closely at one needle. The children measure it. It is longer than a darning needle and of different shape, being round on the outside and nearly flat on the inside. It is very

strong.

We can hardly pull it in two. Is it well that the pine tree has such needles? Refer to the story. Not only goats but caterpillars and insects usually pass the leaves of this tree by. Hail, snow, and sleet cannot injure them much. Why not? Refer to the home of the pine tree. This (Normal, Ill.) is not their home.

Pull out one of these pairs of needles. The children find that it is set very deeply and firmly into the twig. Why is this well? The children discover that the needles in a package so fit together as to resemble in shape a darning needle. Where on the twig are they set? Do you like that arrangement? Why? Does the Austrian pine ever lose its leaves, as do the maples and oaks? How do you know? When do they fall? Do they fall singly or in pairs? What color are they when they fall? Do you see any such on the tree now? If so, where? How old are the needles when they fall? You can not tell now. Austrian Pine thinks you do not know it well enough yet to find out all its secrets.

Now tell all the secrets you do know about the package of needles. Make a drawing of them. What secret has the tree failed to tell you?

We have been talking about the Austrian Pine's dress. Does it wear any ornaments? The cones. Where does it wear them? Notice this carefully. Are they all alike? (Have twigs in the class with cones of last summer's growth, others a year older, and others still another year older.) Notice color and size of each set, the number in a cluster (if you are so fortunate as to find two or three together). Notice cones under the trees and compare them with those on the twig. Do you find on the ground any of the little cones or their bigger brothers? Why not? Their work is not done. The little leaves on the elms and maples did not leave the tree until their work was done, neither will the little cones.

Let us see if we can find out what the work of the cones is. These cones that have seen two summers are chosen. Where on the twig did we find them? Draw the cone when first brought into the room. Draw also the twig with the cone upon it, fixing its place on the twig. The children notice the queer shapes of the doors with their conical little knob; also how each door is braced in front by two doors at its side and one before it. The doors are very many, and are closed so tightly that it is with great trouble that we get them open. Will the cone not tell us what she is guarding so carefully? We will not break into her houses. We will lay these cones where we can watch them. They may change their mind sabout shutting us out. If possible the children should hear and see the doors pop open. This will happen after they have been in the warm room a few hours.

Now that the cone has opened her doors we will walk in and see if we can find what secret she was keeping.

The children discover two little fairies behind each door, each with a large wing. How cozily they lie in the little room. They are well worth guarding. Why? Why were they shut in so tightly? What will open the doors of the cones on the trees? Warm weather. When will they open? What will the seed fairies do then? How will the wing help them? The tiny cones are placed also in the warm room and left there for some time. Why do they not open?

The old cones are found with their doors open. Inside are no good seeds. Why is that so? The fairies flew away last spring when the warm sun opened the doors. The children now make a drawing of the twig with cones of three sizes. They tell the secrets of the cones. They draw a single door with the two seeds, and one seed by itself, and tell the secret of the seed fairies. A number of seeds are kept for planting when spring shall come.

What else do we find on the branches besides leaves and cones? Buds. On what part of the twig do you find these buds? Are all of the same shape? The children find that some are large and pointed, others are round and flat, while others are made up of a cluster of little buds. Why this difference? Let us see if we can find out. A pointed bud is first examined. The children notice how the lower scales curve downward. (If kept in a warm

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room more of the scales will turn down.) They also notice the great number of coverings.

Are they thick or thin? Soft or harsh? How arranged? All of same length? How held together? (The pitch shows itself after being kept in a warm room some time.) The covers being carefully removed by each child from his own bud, they are delighted to find what they think is a cone. But where on the twig did we find the cones? On the sides, but this is directly at the end, What does grow at the end of a twig? Leaves on a stem. What then should you expect to find in this bud? We will put this little bare bud, with a covered one, into this bottle of alcohol. It will keep them fresh, and how shall we label it? We will say we do not know what this is. But what do you think it ought to be? Another secret which the tree is not willing to tell us until we know her better. What was the first secret she kept from us? When may we surely know the secret of the bud? Tell the secrets which you know of the pointed buds and the one that the tree is keeping from you, but which you think you can guess. Now, let us see if we can find out the secret of the round, flat buds. The children find that the outside covers are much like those of the pointed buds, but inside of a few covers they find from five to ten tiny buds crowded all the way around a small pointed bud. The inside covers are soft and transparent. When uncovered, the children are apt to think they have again found cones. But where do we find these buds? Do you find such clusters of cones on the tree? The children notice the resemblance between the pointed bud in the center here, and the pointed bud we examined. before. They tell what they think this bud contains, and what they think may spring from the center bud. The naked, tiny buds are placed in alcohol with a bud as we found it on the tree. What shall we label it?

There is still another kind of bud, a clustered bud, not covered to appear like a single bud as was the preceding. Does it contain a pointed bud? Where on the twig was it found? On what kind of a twig? These buds are also preserved. Are there any other kinds of buds? The bottles of buds are numbered, and the children from now till spring frequently review their knowledge of these buds, and their supposition in regard to them.

Now, this branch on which the needles and buds and cones grew may have something to tell us. Notice carefully the curledback covers of this pointed bud. Do you find anything like this on the twig? Where? How do you suppose those came there? The children are quick to catch the idea that the bud left them when it began to grow. What did it grow into? A little twig. How long? The children usually suggest that that is exactly what this pointed bud will grow into. If so, what must that be in the pointed bud? A little twig packed away in a very small trunk. And what was the green you saw in the bud? The leaves. How long did it take this three or four inches of twig to grow? A year. The children see that it must have taken many years for the tree to become so large at that rate of growth. Look back and see if you can find where another bud started. How old is that part of the twig? Find another year's growth. Another. Still another. Are there leaves on last year's growth? On the second? On the third? On the fourth? On the fifth? Sometimes they will find the leaves mostly or wholly gone from the five years' growth and sometimes there are leaves on the six-year-old twig. Where did the brown leaves go? How old when they fell? What did they leave behind to show that they had been here ? little three-cornerd card, often turned down at the top.

A queer

Notice the twigs with the round, flat buds, or the large clustered ones. The children find the year's growth there to measure only from three-fourths of an inch to an inch. Why so much shorter than on twigs with long pointed buds? Its food had to be divided with those little stranger buds that clustered around it, so it could not grow so much.

Did you ever try to break a twig or a branch from an Austrian pine? Was it easily done?

After a snow storm the teacher takes occasion to call the attention of the children to the sad appearance of the tree. Its branches no more reach up toward the sky, but droop to the earth. It seems as if the tree could never hold itself up as it did before the storm. The children make a drawing of it now and compare this picture with the first one drawn. Why does not the heavy snow break off the branches? Show sections of the thee, where branches have grown, that the children may see how well it guards against such accidents.

What secrets have you found out about twig and branch ?

You may draw a branch of seven years' growth. If they have observed carefully they will put no needles on the oldest growth, and perhaps none on the sixth or fifth. But here are side shoots. From what did they come? Notice where they start out. From what buds do they come? Can you tell? Then we must also find this out next spring. Can you tell yet from what the cones will come? We shall have to watch the tree closely next spring, else it will keep this secret from us. Now what are all the secrets which the Austrian pine is keeping from us this winter?

Do you like this tree? What do you like about it? It is a useful tree, too. For what is it used? For lumber. Children name articles made from pine. The birds come to its shelter early in the spring. The winter birds-crows, owls, etc., spend much time in its branches, which shelter them from the cold winds.

As summing up of many facts discovered in regard to the Austrian pine, and a reminder of their pleasant acquaintance with it, a collection of the following may be mounted on stiff cardboard: A pair of green leaves, pointed bud, an open clustered bud; cones of one, two, and three seasons' growth. (The cone of two seasons will need to be varnished to keep it from opening.) A cone scale, two seeds, a bare twig, a twig with leaves, cross and vertical sections of the wood.

Play Fair, Boys!

[The following article should be read on opening school. It will have a better effect than a dozen scoldings.-ED.]

There is certainly no more pleasant and attractive sight in its way than a crowd of boys at play. A school yard or a village green over which a lot of little fellows are racing, tumbling and gamboling is a great place to watch of a half-hour some time when the duties of life are not pressing.

It would require a long catalog to chronicle all the games. that little people have played since the days when wee Abel and Cain sported in the meadows or over the hillsides outside of the lost Eden. It might be difficult nowadays to invent a really original game, or even a new plaything. The simple principles of almost all our modern games were understood by the ancients; and every now and then some of the playthings with which the young folks of Greek, Roman or medieval times amused themselves are unearthed by some inquisitive antiquary. Many of the playthings of Pompeii, for example, are now on exhibition in the museum situated on the site of the once buried city. And in the year 1859, from underneath the pavement of one of the streets of -Nuremberg, a number of figures of knights on horseback, burnt clay dolls, and even dolls' toys were brought to light. Other toys with which the young people of that age amused themselves were carved wood birds, miniature wind mills and various clay animals.

But more than this, "play fair" is a good motto for the friendly competition of later days, whether these struggles are the literary contests of school or college, or the competitions of business life. Perhaps we may turn the motto around and say that the principle of "play fair," which rules the playground, means about the same thing as "fair play," which is so much of a necessity in the active experiences of the great world about us. Boys or girls will never in the truest fashion succeed in life who have not a keen sense of honor and a real desire to think of the interests of others as well as of their own advantage. Generosity is more than simple justice; and honesty as a principle is actually more profitable in the long run than is honesty as a mere "policy."

Play fair, boys, whether you are little boys or big boys! The mean, tricky man over-reaches himself finally; and meanwhile has few friends, and deserves to have but few friends. He who

is always looking out for number one" will never be cordially loved by number two and number three. "A man to have friends must show himself friendly," just and generous. And certainly that best of all boons, the friendship of the good Creator, will never be given to the person whose whole stock in trade consists of tricks, and wiles, and selfishness. Play is all right. work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Everybody knows that; but Jack must play fair" if he is to obtain both recreation and moral benefit from his sport. And, Jack, when you go out into the big, busy world of men and marts, moil and toil, struggle and competition, remember that fair play" is necessary to the making of any life to be fair, and noble, and of "good report" in the eyes of both God and men.

C. A. S. DWIGHT.

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