These seeds were used to suggest the study of the plants which they produced. For instance, the coffee plant would be the topic of a general lesson at one time, the rice plant at another time, etc.

Also these seeds were used in the study of geography. If the products of the United States was the topic for recitation an open geograhy representing the U. S. map would be laid on the table in front of the class. One pupil would take the bottle of cotton seed and place a seed on each state noted for the production of that article, another pupil would take the hemp seed, another the rice, etc.

Every school can make a collection of seeds without expense. Try it.—School News.

SOME TRUE FISH STORIES.

The carp carries his teeth back in his throat, so that when he has a sore throat he does not know whether to send for the doctor or the dentist. He resembles the cow in the respect that he chews his cud. It is a pity that some of the other virtues of the cow do not also pertain to the carp, for he would be a much more useful fish if this were so; although it would not be possible for him to give milk, as does our good bovine friend, owing to the certain destruction of every drop of it by the river in which he lives, and which, as many of the read. ers of this paper knows, is full of water. The horseshoe crab chews its food with its legs, which is a very curious thing even for a crab to do; while the oyster feeds with its beard. The oysters would starve to death if they had to wait as long as little boys do for their beards to grow; but fortunately they have to do nothing of the sort; although, to tell the truth, the oyster's beard is hardly more perceptible than that of the

smoothest-faced little boy or girl in the world. The jelly fish hasn't any teeth, but uses himself just as if he were a piece of paper when he is hungry, getting his food, and then wrapping himself about it. The star-fish, on the contrary, turns himself inside out, and wraps his food around him, and stays that way until he has had enough. The prongs of the starfish look like teeth, but in reality they are not, being nothing but ornaments to his person. These are but a small proportion of the queer things about queer fish, but I think that we have learned enough to make us all glad that we are not fish; especially about dinner time. -J. K. Bangs, in Harper's Young People.

A CHINESE PRINTING OFFICE.

One of the most interesting places in Pekin is a Chinese. printing office, conducted just as it was centuries before the barbarous world outside of the flowery empire had dreamed of the art of typography. The office contains a score of plain square tablss, upon which the cases of type were spread out, much after the English method, only taking up much more room. One man was engaged in setting up type, another was printing. The former stood before a table on which was what may be called a Chinese "case." It was a solid block of wood about twenty-two inches long by fifteen inches broad and perhaps three inches deep. The inside was hollowed out to the depth of about a quarter of an inch, this depression being still further hollowed out into grooves about three-quar ters of an inch deep. The block has twenty-nine of these grooves, each filled to a depth of a quarter of an inch with ordinery stiff clay.

With his copy before him, armed with a small pair of iron pinchers, the compositor began his work; character after character was transferred from the case and firmly pressed into the clay. When the "form" was completed a flat board was placed on the top and the characters pressed perfectly even and level with the surface, and the wooden edge was cut to form the border found round every chinese page.

The printer now receives the form and carefully brushed the ink over the type. Takiug a sheet of paper, he pressed it down all over the form so that it might be brought in contact with every character. He then removed the sheet and examined each character, carefully adjusting those which were not quite straight with the pinchersf and apparantly never touching the type with his fingers. After sufficient copies had been struck off, the type was distributed, each character being returned to its particular box. The type in the form was of three different sizes, each character being kept in place entirely by the elay in which it stood. They were cut out of some hard wood and were perfectly square.-The Red Book.

ARTIST AND PICTURE MAKER.

In his new book-"Art and Criticism"-Mr. Theodore Childs thus delivers himself of the painter of "Christ before Pilate" and "Christ on Calvary":

He is above all things a picture-maker; his first and last effort is towards picturesvue effect, and this he obtains by material means which he handles with extraordinary ability, but

which are, after all, coarse means, and means which dispense with the display of high intelligence or very delicate sensibility. From the point of view of frank and bold brnsh work, Munkascy is a master painter, but his paintaing will not bear analysis. How much there is to be admired in his pictures as pictures, depends entirely upon the spectator. In Paris, Munkacy takes rank as a workman of talent who handles crude, violent, and coarse means with prodigious skill, but who, since the picture of "Milton Dictating to his Daughters," has made no progress, but, on the contrary, has declined, anp in his last picture, of the death of Mozart, collapsed miserably, amid the din of drum-beating and unperallelled charlatanism.

FEELINGS AND THEIR CULTURE.

BY THOMAS M. BALLIET.

We make the mistake in our dealings with children of assuming that their emotional nature is fully developed, that they have all the emotions which the adult has. When we ask a boy of nine or ten to read a selection expressing a mother's grief at the death of her child, we ask what at that age is psychologically impossible. When we ask a boy of twelve to declaim a speech of Webster's, we demand of him the expression of emotions which he cannot have. The feelings that grow directly out ot the instinct of self preservation develop early, such as anger, jealously, envy stubborness, the desire to possess what is within reach; the unselfish feelings such as love, generosity, kindness,-develop late. The emo. tions, like all other faculties, develop by exercise. We cannot develop a feeling by talking to the child about it; we must develop it by calling it into exercise. In like manner a wrong feeling is weakened by disuse. Every feeling is dependent. on an idea to call it into activity. The idea of means arouses the feeling of indignation; the idea of suffering, the feeling of sympathy. Words can call ideas into consciousness, but not the feelings which they designate. The words house, steamboa, rtver, wountain, call into consciousness their correspon

phies who are so ignorant as not yet to know that the great staples of North Carolina are cotton, corn, tobacco, wheat, rice, oats, and that the State had nearly all the valuable metals and woods and timber that are to be found in America, is unworthy of belief in any statements they make, and their so called text books should be used by no North Carolina teacher. It is well known to everybody, except a few yet benighted Geography makers, that North Carolina fills more of the blanks in the United States census reports than any other State in the Union, and we propose to shortly give the readers of The Teacher the names of all authors of Geographies who have never taken the trouble to inquire what are the chief products of North Carolina so as to tell the children of our scools the truth in this matter.

RUINING THE WORLD.

In the interesting collection of letters entitled "Joseph Severn and his correspondents," in the December Atlantic, there is a letter from John Ruskin which gives an account of his first introduction to the paintings of Tintoret. He writes: I see what the world is coming to. We shall put it into a chain armor of railroad, and then everybody will go every where every day, until every place is like every other place; and when they are tired of changing stations and police they will congregate in knots in great cities, which will consist of club houses, coffee-houses, and newspaper offices; the churches will be turned into assembly rooms; and people will eat, sleep, and gamble to their graves.

It is not of any use to try and do anything for such an age as this. We are a different race altogether from the men of old time: we live in drawing rooms instead of deserts, and work by the light of chandaliers instead of volcanoes. I have been perfectly prostrated these two or three days back by my first acquaintance with Tintoret; but then I feel as if I had got insroduced to a being from a planet a million of miles nearer the sun, not to a mere earthly painter. As for our little bits of R. A.'s calling themselves painters, it ought to be stopped directly. One may make a mosaic of R. A.'s

the word anger does not make us feel angry; the word fear does not inspire us with fear. A feeling, therefore, cannot be called into exercise by naming it or talking about it.

Talking to a child about his emotions makes him think of them, and thinking of them is one way of crushing them. Wheu a man says, "I am angry," he is never in danger of doing anybody harm. He is thinking of his emotion, and thereby making it harmlessly weak. In like manner, when a man boasts of his generosity, his generosity will never make him poor. He is too conscious of his virtue to have it in large

measure.

SO-CALLED GEOGRAPHY.

The North Carolina Teacher thus vigorously protests against ignorance or partisanship in the making of geographies:

"There are yet a few text-books on Geography which persist in telling the children of the United States that "North Carolina is noted for tar, pitch and turpentine." This statement is a falsehood “from the whole cloth," and all authors of Geogra

ret to stand with one leg upon if he balanced himself like a gondolier.

SAGACITY OF ANTS.

When Dr. Franklin was in Paris, as he sat quietly and aione at his breakfast one morning, he saw a number of black ants busy with the contents of a sugar bowl. He drove them away, but they returned. Again he dispersed them, but in a few minutes they were seen climbing from lump to lump as if nothing had happened. To try their ingenuity, he had the sugar bowl suspended by a string from the ceiling. They endeavored to reach it by standing on each other's backs. Sèv. eral mounted in this manner and reached upward, but in vain; the chain of ants fell down as fast as it was raised. After repeated attempts they went away, and he supposed they had given up the matter, but presently he saw them descend. ing the string and dropping down upon the lumps of sugar. Theg had scaled the wall, traversed the ceiling, and discovered another road to the treasure.-Christian Advocate.

HOW BOOKS ARE SOLD.

It was "many numbers of years ago," as the colored serving maid said, that Solomon declared that there was no end of book-making schemes, or words to that effect. There may have been "several" books in those days, but there are to-day made more copies of one book than were in the world of all books at that time.

The first cost of books has, within the present generation, been greatly reduced, and, likewise, booksellers are contented with smaller profits than formerly. The result is twofold: books are sold to readers much cheaper, and the number of readers has increased many fold.

That a book has been published is very little evidence that it has been read. Some publishers seem never to learn how to sell books in general; and even the most successful publishers do not push all their books to success, and many goods lie on the manufacturers' shelves without readers. One of the popular methods of modern publishers is to sell their more costly editions of large books through canvassing agents"book agents!" sneeringly says some one. Yes. This is, to the reader, the cheapest, and to the publisher the best paying plan. And for this reason the "book agent" is a benefactor. Let's see if this be not true.

Take "Character Sketches," for an example. This book was written by Rev. G. A. Lofton, of this city, and offered to one or two publishers before it was undertaken. It is but fair that for a book containing so much matter, the writer should have at least $500 as a reasonable remuneration for his time. The publisher could not have undertaken the work for a profit of less than from $100 to $500. Thus has the book to pay a joint profit of from $600 to $1,000. But the book, set on the shelves of book stores by any Nashville publishing house would never heve passed a first edition of one thousand copies.

The author, however, took a wiser course, and had the book published by an employer of "book agents." The Southwestern Publishing House of this city undertook the publication and have given it readers while putting money into the pocket of its author. They have sold not less than 30,000 copies, thus placing a good book before 150,000 people, and making money in the aggregate for both publisher and author, and giving employment to hundreds of earnest young men and women. And the book has been sold to the reader cheaper than if it had been published and sold to ly a few.

AIDS IN TEACHING HISTORY.

on

1. Among the most important aids in acquiring a knowledge of history, is a knowledge of the geography of the country whose history is to be learned. James Bryce says in an article on the Relations of History and Geography published in the Contemporary Review of March 1886, that "It is in discovering the varying effects produced on the growth of man as a social and political, a wealth-acquiring and State-forming creature, by the geographical surroundings in which he is placed that we find the meeting point of geography and history." II. No history recitation should be conducted without a wall-map hung before the class, a map in the geography open

on their dssks, or a map illustrating the lesson on the blackboard. The latter may be made more forcible by the use of colored crayons, if too much is not attempted. On these historical maps made by the pupils, but a single feature should be portrayed, e. g., if the group of lessons consists of the discoveries and explorations of European contries in North America, let anout line be sketched on the board with white crayon, showing only outline of coast, open doors into the country, as important rivers, the St. Lawrence, Hudson, etc. bays or gulfs, and chief mountain ranges. Colors may be chosen to illustrate the incoming of each nationality, as red for Great Britian, orange for the Netherlands, blue for France, and green for Spain. As the lessons advance and the different peoples enter, let the pupils trace lines on the coast to show where each nation enterd and what each appropriated. Many lessons should be illustrated by maps drawn by each pupil in the class.

We are living in an age of examinations. Education is carried on by means of these. One class of persons prepares pupils for these tests and others probe them to determine their fitness for promotion or graduation. Whether the preparation shall be educative or whether it shall be a mere stuffing, depends upon the examination that is expected. If the person who is to make the test is a pedagogist and also known to be resonable, and those upon whom the teaching depends are competent to lead the pupils along by gradual steps as their powers develop in strength, the instruction is educative. On the contrary, if the examiner is ignorant of the aims of education, if instead of determining the pupils' power to think, to investigate, he expects the reproduction of opinions or of certain forms of expression, then the pupils become mere puppets in the would-be teacher's hands manipulated to satisfy the probable requirements of the examiner. Examinations are, too, sometimes employed as a spur to extra exertion, the pupils being regularly reminded of the grade. (per cent.)they must make in order to pass. Such incentives, if incentives they can be called, lead to cram of memory, and are therefore an injustice to students, giving them the appearance of an education in place of the reality.

Another use that some teachers make of so-called examinaations, is to dog students with them, not to show them how little they have been taught, but how little they have learned or know, and by means of the feeling of shame to allure them into the flowery paths of knowledge. Students subjected to such impositions, if they acquire any knowledge at all, may justly be said to obtain it under difficulties.

Examinations need not, however, be hindrances to education nor impositions upon students. If conducted by a superintendent or a principal, to ascertain fitness for promotion or graduation, they may accomplish three ends:

1. Determine whether the necessery or prescribed attainment

have been reached; 2. Ascertain the teacher's method and success; 3. Indicate what is expected of both teacher and pupils If a teacher examines his own classes-assuming that he has the welfare of his pupils at heart-the test should principally aim to discover his own shortcoming in imparting knowledge, and secondarlly, to reveal to the pupils where their weaknesses lie.

A teacher who is competent and honest will learn more by an examination than his pupils; besides, students do not fear an examination, if they are satisfied that it is for their benefit. -Diesterweg, in Educational News.

HARRIET BEECHER STOWE'S PIES.

Charles Lewis Slatterry, in the New England Magazine says: "Mrs. Stowe used to go through the streets of Brunswick with a brown paper bundle and a new bought broom,-the picture of the womanly independence you desire for the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin. But in a recent after-dinner speech in the town hall, a friend of "Freddy" Stowe's, when the Stowes lived in Brunswick, said that although Mrs. Stowe had written a book to thrill the world, her pies and cakes were abominable. One is inclined to think that the economical and skillful Mrs. Stowe could have made good cake and pie if she had wanted to; but realizing how bad they were at best, she gloried in their weight and sour flour, because the hungry boy, once fed with them, would desire no more."

THE TRUE BASIS OF DISCIPLINE.

All schools develop character, good or evil. The teacher must choose which his school shall develop. The most effective means for developing good character is the discipline. The true basis of discipline is therefore the formation of character.

The old idea of discipline as a means to make teaching possible is wrong. A school may be in perfect order and the discipline be immoral in its nature. The true idea of discipline regards it as a means for forming right character. In maintaining discipline with this end in view, the following principles must be observed:

1. It should strengthen the pupil's will. Reasons for right action must be presented to his intellect. Opportunity must be given his will to act. Thoughtful, willing submission must be secured, not submission because of fear of the penalty. Wills should not be "broken" but reformed.

2. It should be in harmony with child nature. The child should find the school an attractive, happy place. Individual character must be studied. Some treatment must not be given to all pupils.

3. It should appeal to the higher motives. Physical pain, sarcasm, and ridicule are questionable.

4. It should develop manly and womanly traits. Chivalry towards the other sex. Trustworthiness when not under teacher's eye. Willingness to apologize when in the wrong. Right views of school honor. Use of epithets, dunce, stupid, etc., by teachers, is a mean abuse of power.

5. It should never be such as to lower the pupil's self respect. Here lies the great danger in use of corporal punishment. Branding a pupil as a wrong-doer by placards or lists on the boards is wrong.

6. It should be transparently just, Punishment should fit the child not the offence. Distinction between violation of moral law and the teacher's law. Small evils should not be severely treated.

Danger of al

The pupils Violation of

7. It should inculcate a respect for all law, lowing pupils to break the less important rules. should be led to feel the binding force of duty. school law leads to a contempt for civil and divine law. The formation of a code of rules for a school is a most serious and important duty. Rules should be: 1. General, not specific. 2. Few in number. 3. Such as can be en. forced. 4. Never allowed to lapse.

The penalty should never be declared before the offence. The one universal touchstone test of all rules and discipline is this, "Will it strengthen my boys and girls in right doing?" -Henry M. Mason, in American Teacher.

ANIMALS AND HUMAN SPEECH.

Animals have much more capacity to understrnd human speech than is generally supposed. The Hindoos invariably talk to their elǝphants, and it is amazing how much the latter comprehend. The Arabs govern their camels with a few cries, and my associates in the African deserr were always amused when I addressed a remark to the big dromedary, who was my property for two months; yet at the end of that time the beast evidently knew the meaning of a number of simple sentences. Some years ago, seeing the hippopotamus in Barnum's Museum looking very stolid and dejected, I spoke to him in English, but he did not even open his eyes. Then I went to the opposite corner of the cage and said in Arabic: "I know you; come here to me." He instantly turned his head toward me. I repeated the words, and thereupon he came to the corner to where I was standing, pressed his huge, ungainly head against the bars of his cage, and looked into my face with a touch of delight while I stroked his muzzle. I have two or three times found a lion who recognized the same language, and the expression of his eyes, for an instant, seemed postively human.-Bayard Taylor.

.

A LITTLE BOY'S LECTURE.

BY JULIA M. THAYER.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Nearly four hundred years ago the mighty mind of Columbus, traversing unknown seas, clasped this new continent in its embrace.

A few centuries later rose one here, who now lives in all our hearts as the Father of his country. An able warrior, a sagacious statesman, a noble gentlemen. Yes, Christopher Columbus was great. But here, my friends, in this glorious nineteenth century, is a grater! [Exhibiting a large, bright tin grater. The large kind used for horseradish could be most easily distinguished by the audience.]—Tommy's Speak

er.

LITERARY EXCLUSIVENESS

"Don't you admire Robert Browning as a poet, Mr. Fitznook?"

"I used to once; but everybody admires him, don'tcher know so I had to give him up!"-Buffalo Express.

TEACHING LITTLE CHILDREN TO READ.

BY AGNES M. MANNING, IN N. Y. SCHOOL JOURNAL.

Every year there are from three hundred to three hundred and fifty genuinely new pupils who enter our school. Even those who have been at the kindergarten cannot read a word. The modern kindergarten is succeeding, because it wisely. seeks to lead the child by easy steps along the paths of observation. It does not attempt to cram or force the infantile brain.

We have tried many plans to teach our little ones to read in the shortest time consistent with good work. We have experienced that the following is the best method. We start with a single word, which the teacher writes on the board in large script. The child is showd the object or a picture of it and that the word is its name. It is encouraged to talk about it. Then it is given a slate properly ruled and the word is written plainly by the teacher on the slate. The child attempts to copy this word for its busy work. Next day, perhaps, another word is added, but we are careful to make haste slowly. Never print; it confuses the child, and is a waste of the teacher's time.

I said a child, but every teacher knows that I mean a class

of forty or fifty, or I am sorry to say often sixty in our large

cities.

When tha writing lesson is given on the very first day, we start with the simplest forms. It is astonishing how the baby fingers that have been grappling with the difficulties of a whole word, find easy sailing in the writing lesson.

As soon as the children have acquired a vocabulary, we go on adding new words more rapidly. We are careful to take these words from the First Reader that we will first use.

After we have mastered seventy-five or eighty words, combined them in all varieties of sentences, which the children read readily from the blackboards, we introduce the Reader.

A group of ten is all that any teacher should take at once in this exercise. Give the others their "busy work," and have this ten where you can walk behind, and see that each little one learns how to hold his book and keep his place properly.

It is astonishing how rapidly children pass from the script. form of the word to the printed one in the book. There is no trouble after the first three days. Never allow a child to spell or stumble over a word. Tell it, or call on some pupil to tell it at once.

You ask how the young reader will ever come to know his letters. We care nothing about the letters, we want him to recognize words at sight.

He will learn the letters through the phonetic drill, through writing and in future spelling. As soon as our pupil has mastered the first 30 pages in a reader, we give him another just as easy as the first.

Every school ought to have a series of "Readers" for young children, for supplementary reading. They are far better adapted for little learners than the modern "child's book," which is often only modern in name.

Since reading is truly the key of all knowledge, we should have more of it in our primary classes. Many children of

the poor are forced to go to work so young that they can only stumble through the first reader. Had less time been spent on abstract numbers, and more in giving some practical knowledge of language, they could go on in leisure mo ments and study, by means of books, for themselves.

A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY EXTENSION CON. FERENCE.

The American Society for the extension of University. Teaching is to hold a National Conference on University Extension at Philadelphia, on the evening of December 29; the morning, afternoon and evening of December 39; and the morning of December 31. The preliminary announcement has already called forth wide and cordial response. Many prominent men have signified their desire to be present. Among them are President Gilman, of Johns Hopkins University; President Stahr, of Franklin and Marshall College; President Burleson, of Texas; President Patton, of Princeton; Superintendent E. W. Jones, of St. Charles, Mo.; U. S. Commissioner of Education, Hon. William T. Harris; President Webster, of Union College; Superintendent Wildes, of Fort Dodge, Iowa; and President Harper, of Chicago.

Mr. Michael E. Sadler, Secretary of Oxford University Extension, will present the salient features of the English movement. Some of the topics to be discussed at this meet

ing are: "The Function and Method of the Class in Univers ity Extension;" "The Object and Method of Paper Work;' "The Composition of Local Committees;" "Methods of Fi-' nancial Support;" "Qualities and Duties of the University Extension Lecturer;" "Forms of Organization of University Extension Work;" "Certificates for Work Done in Extension Courses;" "Liberal vs. Technical Subjects of Instruction." One entire session will be devoted to reports of the experiences of University Extension organizers throughout the United States and Canada. The Conference bids fair to be one of the largest, most representative gatherings of college men ever heid in the interests of University Extension.

Reduced railway fares and hotel accommodations will be offered For full information in regard to the subject, address Mr. George Henderson, 1662 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

STORIES OF THE RAZORBACK HOG.

We have seen his long tusks divide a dog like a sword; we have seen a panther so terribly wounded that the poor cat crept off in despair to die, while the hog recked not of flowing blood from his own neck and shoulder, but promptly challenged a renewal of the fight. At Tocio lately a hog made it a point to stand on the track whenever he saw the locomotive coming, and the considerate engineer stopped for four successive days to drive him off. At last, tired of humanity which aroused no gratitude, the train hands assembled by invitation to see that hog demolished. He was on the track awaiting his doom, and extra speed was drawn from fat pine hurled into the furnace with malice prepense. The hog

raised his head in surprise when no stop was made, and, seeing his danger, started at a gallop down the track. In vain the engine rushed forward with maddening speed, till coaches rocked and ladies screamed in terror. When the