selected from everywhere-picked up in any place. Common-place things should there have a place. Whole volumes might be written on the simple texts there contained, which could be gathered in an hour; for, as Shakespeare says, there are sermons in

stones, and good in everything."

For

"Truths,

That 'tis our shame and mis'ry not to learn,
Shine by the side of every path we tread
With such a lustre, he that runs may read."

This box should contain silk, muslin, flannel, linen, oil-cloth, felt, drugget, brick, pottery, china, glass, iron, steel, copper, lead, tin, brass, pewter, a type, a ring, a needle, a pin, a button, steel pen, paper, parchment, leather, morocco, kid, buckskin, cocoon, hair, wool, hemp, flax, wax, gum, bean, pea, clove, coffee, cinnamon, wheat, oats, barley, buckwheat, sponge, shells, &c. Such a box would contain a mine of truth to be had for the taking. Cabinets of this kind may be obtained at the Educational Depository, Toronto.

Much philosophy can be gathered from boys' toys. A top, a kite, a bat and ball, a marble, a bow and arrow,--all illustrate some principle or principles of mechanical law. An ingenious, thinking teacher will, if many of these things are not provided to his hand by those who ought to furnish them, make them himself rather than be without them. And besides these, any teacher can afford a syphon, a magnet, a prism, a lens, &c.

THE BLACK-BOARD is the greatest time and labor-saving invention that can be introduced into the school. It may be put to an almost infinite degree of service, from the simple teaching of the alphabet, to the most abstruse problems in mathematics. Writing, spelling, punctuation, geographic diagrams, algebra, geometry, arithmetic, philosophical figures and drawing, may all be taught with this invaluable auxiliary. If the blacked surface be sufficiently large, a dozen, or twenty, or forty pupils if necessary, may be exercised at once, and the rapidity and accuracy with which such exercises may be performed, would perfectly astonish those who are not familiar with this mode of illustration and practice. No school-house should be without black-board accommodation for at least a dozen pupils. Twenty-four feet in length will accommodate that number, but more room would be better. A board should also be prepared for the special use of the teacher. The permanent black-board on the wall, with descriptions for preparing the various kinds of surface used for this purpose, and for crayons or chalk, wipers, etc.. comes under the head of School Furniture. These have been fully treated of in the preceding chapter. The movable or frame black-board, however, would seem to come within the list of apparatus. The size should be about three and a half by six feet, and to facilitate moving, it should be set on large castors. When not in use it will occupy but little space at the side of the room. Upon the top cross-rail, neat hooks should be inserted, to hang maps, cards, etc., necessary for little pupils.-See page 83.

III. MAPS-DIAGRAMS-POINTERS-GLOBES-TELLURIAN—
ORRERY, &c.

MAPS.-A map is a picture of a part, or of the whole, of the earth's surface. From a study of such pictures the mind is enabled, by the principle of association, to transfer and secure a mental copy or impression from the canvas or plate.

Amongst the best maps for the school-room are Johnston's and the Irish National Series. Outline maps, or such as have no names on them, but merely an outline of the general characteristics of the country represented, are also very good. When pro. perly instructed by means of these, children have no difficulty in carrying in the mind's eye the forms and features of the various countries, and the relative positions they occupy to each other and to their own.

There should not be less than ten maps in the set; comprising the eastern and western hemispheres, Canada, America, Europe, Asia, Africa, United States, the British Islands, &c.; and, if possible, a map of the county and township containing the school. These maps should also be well colored, and hung as objects of beauty and taste around the room. They can also be procured in cases and moveable stands, of very ingenious construction, as may be seen at the Educational Depository, Toronto. Whenever they are used in recitation, the case or stand should be removed to the north side of the house, so that the points of the compass on the map may correspond with their true position on the earth.

DIAGRAMS of every variety, relating to natural philosophy, the physical sciences, &c., may be obtained at the Depository, Toronto. These illustrations give great interest to the subject to which they refer.

POINTERS OR WANDS.-Several pointers should be furnished for use in the demonstration of problems on the board, and for pointing out places on the outline maps. They should be four or five feet long, neatly tapering to a point, and light.

MSS

E6N

SSE

CARDINAL POINTS.-To familiarize scholars with the principal points of the compass, North, South, East, and West should be neatly painted or printed, and put up on the corresponding walls of the school-house.

GLOBES.-It is a difficult thing for a scholar to appreciate the fact that the earth on which we live is globular, and that though it has a motion which tends to throw us from its surface, yet we cannot fall from it. Maps may, to some extent, be used for this purpose; but to convey the complete idea, a model is indispensable. That model is the terrestrial globe. Not unfrequently, the pupil, attempting to learn geography without this aid, has, and will always continue to have, a confused idea of equator, meridians, parallels, and poles; of latitudes, longitudes, axis, and zones. The whole is to him without system, and with little

sense.

S&W

S

ShE

THE COMPASS.

On the contrary, these terms are easily taught, if suitable subjects for illustration be provided.

The celestial globe, or planetarium, will also much facilitate the conveyance of information as to the position and the motion of the heavenly bodies, and will

also enable the teacher to impart some knowledge of astronomy. Globes are generally constructed in pairs, and though the terrestrial is more useful, and better calculated to impress the true idea of the thing represented; than the celestial, yet both will be found highly advantageous.

A hemisphere globe supplies a want long felt, viz.: An illustration, which any child can understand, of the reason of the curved lines on a map, and shows how the flat surface is a proper representation of a globe. Two hemispheres are united by a hinge, and, when closed, a neat little globe is presented; when opened, two maps are seen, showing the continents, as if through transparent hemispheres.

THE TELLURIAN, OR SEASON MACHINE.-As a useful accompaniment to the globe and maps, in the study of geography, we notice the tellurian, or season machine. Among

the most difficult phenomena presented to the minds of children, are the changes of the seasons-the revolutions of the moon around the earth, an'l the earth around the sun-and the subject of tides. These, and several others, may be illustrated and explained by the aid of this machine. The science of geography, in its common acceptation, includes, with "a description of the surface of the earth," some account of its physical phenomena of its people, manners, customs, religion, and laws; and of its relation to the other parts of the solar system. In this view, the study of the earth's motions and changes, although belonging to the science of astronomy, might properly be classed among those subjects to be taught in the school.

THE TELLURIAN.

ASTRONOMY.-The apparatus to which we refer, for the study of the science of astronomy, consists of the Orrery, or model of the planets, revolving in their various orbits

and surrounded by their satellites and put in motion by a crank or spring. The Teles cope, without which we cannot see very far into this science; the Tellurian, as above; and the Celestial Globe.

IV. ARITHMETICAL TABLES-NUMERAL FRAMES-FORMS AND SOLIDS.

MULTIPLICATION TABLE.-In order to acquire facility in using numbers, the multiplication table must be committed to memory. To facilitate the memorizing of abstract numbers, musical association may be used. Cards, large enough to be seen across the school-room, should be hung around. They will serve as ornaments to the room, and answer the double purpose of assisting the memory and training the vocal organs. It is an immense labor to learn these tables. If any one doubts this, let the attempt he made to commit the numbers from twelve times twelve to twenty-four times twentyfour, and the doubt will be dispelled. Everything should be done to assist children, and make pleasing such hard labor, in which the thinking powers take little part.

THE ABACUS, OR NUMERAL FRAME.-The cut shows a frame supporting twelve rows of little wooden balls, strung on wires, along which they move readily. The simple

NUMERAL FRAME.

rules of arithmetic are difficult to acquire abstractly. Children count by means of their fingers, until they acquire proficiency. This instrument is better, as the teacher can instruct a whole class or school at the same time. Involution and evolution may be illustrated, by means of the instrument, to those further advanced in mathematical study.

and measures of capacity, as pint, quart, gallon, and half-bushel were added, the assortment would be more useful and complete. Solids, representing timber and boards of different measurements, should also be secured.

CUBE ROOT BLOCK.-To make apparent the reason of the rules for the extraction of cube and square roots, the sectional cube block should be used. This block, or rather number of blocks united, forms a cube. The parts may be separated from each other, being held together by wire pins. In connection with the abacus before mentioned, the whole subject may be rendered perfectly plain by its use. The cost of the above articles depends upon their size and the finish put on them.

V. MECHANICAL POWERS-ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

MECHANICAL POWERS.-The principles of natural philosophy, in their practical application, should be seen and understood in school. Many arithmetical operations are

based upon them. An apparatus, such as is seen in the cuts, would give a better practical knowledge, in a few weeks, of the principles of mechanics, than would be learned by experience in years. Such knowledge is invaluable to its possessors, as every day some principle is used in practice. The set should embrace the lever, simple and com

SET OF MECHANICAL POWERS.

pound; the wheel and axle, erect and inverted; the pulley, fixed and moveable; the inclined plane; the wedge and the screw. To these might be added a set of illustrations for the centre of gravity, both amusing and instructive.

ELECTRICITY. The science of Electricity affords perhaps as great and as interesting a variety of experiments as any other. The principles of the science may be presented