a work on Physical and Political Geography, by Cornelius S. Cartee, Esq., of Charlestown.

.

Cowperthwait, Desilver & Co., of Philadelphia, have also in press a text-book on Physical Geography. We should also mention that the Appletons of New York have also in course of publication another series of Geographies by Miss S. S. Cornell. Of this series two numbers have appeared.

Lastly, Phillips & Sampson, of Boston, have published "My First Geography for Children; by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe." This is also the first of a series, and is every way worthy of the attention of teachers.

Mr. A. R. Dunton has prepared a set of copies, consisting of sixty-four numbers, with the view of making his system more complete.

Mr. Dunton's system is becoming daily more popular with teachers in and near Boston, and we hope soon to see it generally introduced. It is recommended by the Principals of the Boston Latin and English High Schools, and by all who have used it.

ROXBURY SCHOOLS.

We have received the printed report of the School Committee of the city of Roxbury, together with the general report submitted by the chairman of the Committee, Hon. Bradford K. Pierce. Mr. Pierce, in the course of his report, alludes to the fact that during the past year the system of public education in Roxbury has been completed by the establishment of a High School for girls, which is now in a state of successful experiment. The increase in the annual school expense of the city has been very slight, notwithstanding the addition of this provision for the highest culture of female youth, the superintendency of the grammar schools for girls having been placed in the hands of ladies, and the expense thus decreased to an amount nearly equivalent to the sum required for the High School for girls. The report says that the new lady principals "have succeeded admirably in their responsible positions. The plan is considered no longer an experiment, but a well-established policy; and, while it has the recommendation of economy, it offers a higher recompense and a worthier field of development for the sex than she has been accustomed to receive." During the past year, a grammar school for girls, upon Gore avenue, and two primary buildings, each containing four schools, have been added to the public property of the city.

The report states that it is desirable to raise, as soon as practicable, the standard of the grammar schools of the city. The higher the standard of graduation there, the greater will be

the benefit that the pupil will receive from his High School training. It also speaks of the importance of employing a general superintendent of schools, appointed from within or without the School Committee, and states that it may be advisable for the School Committee to take measures at an early day for bringing before the City Council the question of constituting the Mayor of the city ex-officio chairman of that body.

The Latin and English High Schools maintain the high position which they have always held among schools of corresponding rank and character in the community. All the youth of the city, of suitable qualifications, have free access to them, the city paying annually such an amount as may be required, above the income of the fund, to meet the current expenses. About two thousand and six hundred scholars attended the free public schools of Roxbury during the three months ending the 25th of May last.-Boston Journal.

THE NORMAL SCHOOL IN WESTFIELD.

FROM a catalogue of the State Normal School at Westfield, we learn that the number of students who have been instructed in that institution during the past year is one hundred and eighty-three, of whom forty-two were males, and one hundred and forty-one females. The number of graduates this year is thirty-six, one-third of whom are males. The Westfield school, it will be remembered, was opened at Westfield in 1844, and has since then been under the charge successively of Rev. Dr. Emerson Davis, of David S. Rowe, A. M., of Mr. John W. Dickinson, and of Mr. W. H. Wells, A. M. Mr. Wells is the present Principal, and under his superintendence it maintains a high character for thoroughness.-Boston Journal.

ARITHMETIC AND ITS APPLICATIONS; designed as a Text Book for Common Schools, High Schools and Academies. By Dana P. Colburn, Principal of the Rhode Island State Normal School, Providence. Philadelphia: H. Cowperthwait & Co.

We have been favored with an inspection in proof of some two hundred pages of this work, and we feel justified in asserting that for accuracy, clearness of expression, and copiousness and good arrangement of materials, it excels all arithmetical works that have been published. From what is well known of Mr. Colburn's enthusiasm in his favorite subject, his numerous friends expect from him a useful work, and they will not be disappointed. We hope to give it a more extended notice when it shall appear from the press.

66

MATHEMATICAL.

ERRATA. On page 220, line 11, after the word "any," the word "rational" should be inserted. The sentence would then read as follows:-"Now p may have any rational value," &c. On page 222, line 10, read instead of 1. Same page, line 31, read " numerator" instead of "number." In justice to the writers of the articles, we would say that these are not errors of the manuscript, and that they were corrected in proof by the Local Editors. Nor are we at all inclined to find fault with the proof-reader connected with the establishment of Messrs. Damrell & Moore, whose almost infallible accuracy and good judgment have been conspicuous upon the pages of this Journal for years, and in whose hands we have always deemed the "TEACHER" perfectly safe.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

THE MASSACHUSETTS TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION offers the following prizes for original Essays:

TO MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION, for the best Essay, on either of the following subjects, a prize of TWENTY-FIVE

DOLLARS.

1. The Relation of the Common School to the State.

2. School Supervision.

3. The Relation which the Common School sustains to the College and the University.

To the FEMALE TEACHERS of the State, for the best Essay on either of the following subjects, a prize of TWENTY-FIVE

DOLLARS.

1. Primary School Instruction, and the Methods of Teaching Young Children.

2. The True Mission of the Teacher.

3. The Objects of Common School Instruction.

The Essays must be forwarded to the Secretary, Charles J. Capen, Esq., Latin School, Boston, on or before the 21st of October. Each Essay should be accompanied by a sealed envelope enclosing the name of the writer. The envelopes accompanying unsuccessful Essays will not be opened. The prizes will be awarded by an impartial committee; but no prize will be awarded to an Essay that is not deemed worthy of one. The successful Essays will be regarded as the property of the Association.

JOSIAH A. STEARNS, President.

Boston, June 18th, 1855.

THE

MASSACHUSETTS TEACHER.

Vol. VIII, No. 9.] W. G. GOLDTHWAIT, EDITOR OF THIS NUMBER. [September, 1855.

"Then infant reason grows apace, and calls

For the kind hand of an assiduous care."-Thomson.

THE last number of the Teacher contained as its leading article an essay upon this subject: "At what age should a boy enter college?" The question was well answered by one very capable of judging. A more important question is this: At what age should children enter school?

This question is more important than the one alluded to, because the mass of school-goers is immensely larger than the number of those who ever enter the walks of college life. Many considerations urged in that excellent reply, may be adduced with equal weight in the settlement of this question. This matter also concerns teachers, for the whole after progress of the pupil, for which our profession seems to be held responsible, may depend upon the manner of beginning. And then with regard to any particular teacher, it is a matter of no small importance with him in estimating the probable results of his labor, whether he shall scatter and dissipate his influence upon all in the village, from the cradle to early manhood, or confine his ministrations to those who are appropriate to his labors and ready for the seal. It therefore intimately concerns teachers, and is appropriate to this magazine. It should be borne in mind also that teachers can exert great influence with parents, and aid much in bringing about a reform, if desirable.

At what age, then, should children enter school? We reply, at a much later age than our laws seem to contemplate and is now common in New England. Most children become amenable to teachers at the age of four or five, and our yearly returns mention a large number even younger than four. Exactly

where the gradation finds its lowest step, we are ignorant; but evidently the neighboring realms of the nurse and the teacher somewhat over-lap each other, like adjacent colors in the solar spectrum. Contrary to the axioms of philosophy, the cradle and the desk occupy the same space at the same time. The period of school-going closes perhaps, as a general estimate, at fifteen or sixteen; it may be earlier or later, that will not affect the question. Our object of course is to accomplish a certain result previous to that time; so much discipline is to be secured, so much knowledge acquired, and in one way and another, so much progress made. Now it seems to us a grave inquiry, whether, if pupils were to date their acquaintance with books a little farther from the cradle, they would not in the end know more; if they commenced later, would they not travel farther? It is said of some of the Spanish libraries, that if they were diminished in bulk, they would be increased in value. Might not as much be said of the (early) period of school-going?

It is very true that the common opinion and practice are in favor of early school-going. But most of this springs, we fancy, from the erroneous idea that education is derived only from books, and that the child never begins to learn till he has dabbled in the phonography of the English tongue and learned to spell "baker." Whereas education is really manifold in its departments, and is derived from almost numberless sources. It refers to all the intellectual faculties, to the moral feelings, to the body. It embraces the manners, as well as the mind; it trains the eye and hand, as well as the heart. It is derived from the silent influence of friends and associates, from experience, from observation, from conversation, as well as from books and the school-room, and we may add, vastly more. The "literary games," as the Roman denominated schools, perform but an insignificant part in the acquisitions of early life.

Now whatsoever of heresy there may be in this article, lies in this, that we advise to less haste in wedding the child unto letters. Let us not crowd the columns of orthography and the Numeration Table into the preface of life. Young childhood asks for different food, has other things to do. The body is to grow; "the first duty of every child is to grow;" the windows of the senses are to be opened to whatever is beautiful and good; the perceptions and tastes are to be rendered delicate or maintained so; and above and beyond all, the moral and religious feelings are to be cultivated. The harp-strings of life are, it is to be hoped, strung in beautiful harmony. Let us endeavor to keep them so, at least through the period of infancy; let us throw across them, as it were, the stalks of flowers, and awake them in unison with the songs of birds, and make them pour forth the