Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-02-15

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NchOol Geogranhies.


Our Board Of Education recon- mends Mitch
ellis Series throughout, and secondarily Guyot's
What that recommend means WAS not 30 defined
as to he beyond dispute, but according to analogy
it may be assumed chat their preferences were for
Mitchell's and secondarily for Guyot's But by
the zeal Of the publishers Of Guyot's and the
number Of recommends they obtained from nte.
rested or disinterested parties, from men who
ought to be capable of judging of their excellence.
they have obtained large circulation and seem
to be the leading series in our schools.
The physical geography Of Guyot is very well
His marking of the currents Of the oceans. the
currents Of air, wind, and several things about
commerce are very well but his maps are so def
cient that it could not be expected that scholar
would obtain an extensive acquaintance with
geography proper, or surface geography, from
them. The maps are small and miserably let
tered, and designed to be supplemented with wall
maps that should be delightfully."- full But these
are what few if any districts would buy, and not
one father in fifty can buy. 50 if children are de-
pendent on that series, or any one of them, they
will come short of knowing what they may and
ought to know Of the surface Of our globe.
Mltchells is vastly preferable for fulness and
plainness, and he has supplemented his series
with treatise on physical geography supposed
10 equal the best on the subject But his cues
tlons seem arranged on the pumping system, and
scholars will pay very much heed to the questions
and study subjects less than they ought. If, how
ever, only series are to be obtained for schol-
ars, Mitchel's would be far preferable as capable
Of giving more satisfactory knowledge of the
surface Of the earth. 1t is often said there are
more localities noticed in Guyot's than any scholar
will learn. Why then trouble them with more?
It may also with equal proprety he said there are
more words in Webster's Dictionary than any ono
writer will ever want 10 use, why the need of so
many There are more facts in Maeauley's Eng
land than any one can retain then why was il
made 50 fall, or why another by different author?
Biographies ought to be fair, full description of
the surface OF the earth having large and beauti-
iul maps, well lettered, the boundaries of the
States defined by plainly drawn lines and such
brief descriptions given of them in the letter press
as will give the scholar an accurate knowledge of
their general character and occupations. Nor is
there need for more than one ehids geography.
An outline may be given which they might study
one year and obtain definite ideas of the general
shape OF countries and their locations but as soon
us scholar can read intelligently, 20 soon they
are prepared to study one full treatise and fix in
their minds the localities of all the countries,
principal towns, mountains, lakes, rivers, routes
oil travel, ocean currents, trade winds, and the
IKE, and then all their historic reading afterwards
will, II accompanied by good map, be subsidiary
to geographical as well as historical knowledge
H.