Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-10-20
CT r G UL A r .

The attention of Town Superintendents,
Teachers, and others interested in the cause of
popular education in the State of Vermont is
called to Section 2, Act No. q of the Laws of
Vermont for the year 1866, which roads as fol-
lows
SECTION 1.-The Board of Education are
hereby authorized, and it is made their duty, on
or before July /, 1867 and on or before said date
every fifth year thereafter, to select a list of
such grammars, Biographies, arithmetics, his
tories OF this State and the United States, phil
osophics, algebras, readers and spoilers, not
exceeding one book of q kind Ill each branch, as
they shall deem best suited for instruction and
use i'll the district schools in this State, in each
OF said branches and shall cause the list so
selectcd to be published in all the newspapers
published in the State, during the month of
January next following the making of such Sc
lection and also to be inserted in each school
register issued after one year from the makinr
of such selection which list, 80 selected, shall
be and remain authoritative and binding upon
the Board OF Education, superintendent and
teachers, and during five years from and after
November /, 1868, and each five years thercaf-
ter; and superntendents and teachers shall
recommend for use i'll the district schools, as
new books shall become necessary for instruc-
ton in the branches named, no other than the
books included in said list SO selected and pub
lished.
The following is an extract from the Report
of the Board of Education, for the year 1867
pages:
MitchelPs First Lessons, Primary, and Inter
mediate Biographies were adopted for these
reasons, in brief; the simplicity and cleamess
OF the text the gradual and constant advance
ment from the primary truths to the higher de-
partments OF geographical knowledge, the con-
ciseness and completeness Of the definitions,
the elegance and accuracy of the maps, the at
Effectiveness of the pictorial illustrations, and
the uniform method of treating topics that are
similar to each other. Since tho adoption Of
these books, the publishers have taken meas
ures to prepare "a special edition of the Intcrme-
date Geography for use in the schools of YER
mont. This edition will contain new quarto
map OF the State engraved Oh copperplate and
four pages OF letter press and questions, relat-
ing to the geography of Vermont, ito he prcpar-
ed by Rev. Pliny H.. White. 1t is believed that
this feature, while it is not to increase the cost
OF the books, will materially increase its value
and the interest with which it will be studied
McNally's Physical topography, accompanied by
Monteiths Lessons inl Astronomy, was adopted
to be used i'll those departments of the study
which are indicated by their titles. Guyot's
Common School Geography was adopted as Il
Physical Geography of grade different from
McNally's.
Inasmuch as there seems to be some misap-
prehension as to the intention and design of the
Board in recommending the different textbooks
in geography it seems proper to state that it
was thclf intention TO recommend the use OF
Mitchcll's Biographies by all classes which have
hitherto used, which would otherwise use
Cornels, and that they did not design that
Guyot's Biographies should be used, except by
pupils who, having passed through Mitchells,
desire to advance to the study of physical geo
graphy by Guyot's method.
The publishers of Mitchell's New Biographies
viii send agents into every town in the State, to
supply schools according to the terms annexed,
and ii is hoped that superintendent will furnish
every facility for the speedy prosecution of their
business.
JOHN b. PAGE l.. L. WARD,
PLINY Ii. WHITE, A. j. SANBoRN
JONATHAN Ross, Nj. CLARKE,
ID. ID. GoRHAM,
State Board OF Education.
A. L. RANKIN,
Secretary.