The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-11

s,o, and rsir,forcenept , nays
sssnaljy tia young aides ICY as aoaa C,,e
md aIsehss stimuli. aresy III Tor sor
snontaue usoI5s algenszsc nl ~ slime
he sol,at oEa dictlt pr9sseM OF s..s,h,,te
sie. I amf1ot disposed thersfgre, 20 a a,rnhra
mr1ct, practical value TO the s.uoy VI ~
hut further, doubt II right appLec;,.a s esnor
ne 6;scfpltnnry value is any more 70 JUS
=. - anf certain that It can be made TO-
~. :. wornats. auv discipline either IN Rlna9I.
e,,,ant;tv which poay not better PC gos4 iEom
aat etie. In facfs u thiSki that modern
teachers ard book makers, for Potn se ss,aj
M sacrificed on the, altar OF tne so.ea a.
q higher mathematics !" much OF tne n n1s,a
r, tie mental training that arithmetic IS aDie
~ f,iruish.f Z csnriot doubt that tne aiIot
,I,ne Afforded in the solution Oh Iaeosl
pn,, y,,;cafed probIem of aRithnieticai metuods
Z na,,aIly far better than that which the al.
r.hr,ie method can give.
sT do nog9hink, then, that the disciplinary
s.,d,,,s of algebra and Of those branches OIL
III hematics to which the algebraic methods
"a anpIied jlstifes the place usually gwen
thshnh II, female schools" ,'si'sNt' z3.'
" sThs report concludes as follows: ~ -
"My c6iclusfoD,, then, IS taat algebra,
With all itsF'tricks and the fluctuations they
bripg ii fschool girls, ought to pc dascardeo
from TIE Usual course. ! Wonia not say sae
same for geometry. In practicai and dlscip-
Iinary value ] think 1t much better tnan G
algebra. "a tsi. But whether the s !, q,
heretofore given to algebra ana geometry es..
should be given all to the latter IS douot,h,.
I have no question that the course III pei,es
iSEsT I'm most of a wonan's time. She has
far more use for, and gets faf more pleasure
from the Arabian Nights than from inc ae-
monsrations of Leeender and Laplace. s SUI,
I think She would be right TO give g9oesalii
deal Of time to geometry ana the grapnnlEc
method Of ttigonometry and mensuration, 70
setiier with the elements of descriptive
Geometry ]. would propose, therefore, Tor
The Schools for girls the following course Of
mathematical study 90 ,,.-J-,,
". tecoonizing the f,ct that it Is really the
most dfffcult Thing We have to teach. :, ~.
Z" g. Synthetic, Geometry, except, Perna9ps,
thu ]isciissioirl Of the spherical triangle, :,
10 3. Plane Irtao on ard Mensuration,
at least 50 far as the graphic meth inc can &c
applied. s ID, ), !, :. :, =. q I'm
With general practice Of mat % ufas"
ing. III - 80. .rr.,f !. =, II d,
tho reenlar course Of study. When girls are
fnnnd who wish to study algebra, ana,
thrdneh algebra. analytical geometry, cal.
fnI,l,,s' &c by all means let them do so. but
do MT force them to these things by making
them necessary to graduation. , American
girls do dearly love to graduate, ana tney
1gilI q fake on almost anything winch
-, AZ l. ~ ruaa,, them and that"
Mr. w o.. ENGLISH, Of Albemarle, could
NOT agree to the excelsior of algebra from
airPs mathematical course, and insisted on
Rev. ], LITTLE, of Alexandria, agreed
with Mr.. English. he feared the views OF
tbe writer Of the report were tinged by q
nainft1l experience in mathematical instruc-:
ion but however that might be, be could
not agree with them. He wanted algebra
insisted on as q condition Of graduation, and
opposed any step backward. =" 80, -. -! 80
- Professor VENABLE, Of the University, dis
liked to express dissent from Mr.. Hart while
absent, but must dissent from the tone Of
his report Its practical tone and material
views of education. He did not think Mr..
Hart did girls justice. he did not believe a
girl could be properly trained in arithmetic
without algebra and, like several who had
preceded him, objected to its excision. Be
sides algebra, he would add to MIR. Harris
course comic sections {aftcr the French
method) as Introductory to astronomy, and
would not leave out the discussion of the
sphere. =
Professor II. II. HAKR1s, of Richmond Col
lege, defended tue report. BE, said that wo-
men We're grown before men, and the ques-
ton simply Is, how best to improve the lew
short years they can be induced to remain
ut school. Should we cultivate the reason
ing powers at the expense of the imagina-
ton aud fancy?-that's the question. BE
agreed with the chairman of the committee.
that we should not, but that we ought to cut
OFF from the average mathematical teaching
now given girls, and add the time thus gain
ed to the humanifies. "a s&i 20. -'z
,a Professor c.! Z. COOKE, of Holhns instl-
tute, had taught girls for tWenty-seven years,
and was iiidisposed to concur with the re-
port Girls generally object to mathematics,
but some excel lin it. The best classes III
this branch he had ever had were OF girls.
He insisted on a good deal OF teaching IN
this branch, and especially in algebra, Id
order to train them to think! NO osher
answered the purpose equally WE'LL He had
observed that those who excel in mathe-
few do so excel . This was the fault Of pri.
mary teachers, who's often make arithmetic
a matter of memory merely He thinks al
zebra indispensable. to the bestapprehension
of arithmetic. 1.-The best arithmetic he ever
saw,is that of Crozet, but girls bate the book
and hate Crozet because he is strictly logi-'
cal and makes them think. Mathematics,
he was sure, particularly when studied
before the age OF sixteen or seventeen, Sc
cures a discipline nothing else. can. rs 3
:? Professor N. b. WEBsTEB, of Norfolk, " no
bad taught girls mathematics as far back, as
1888, defended algebra, and insisted on its
,Atthe close of debate of much inter est
the report was, on motion, received and he
committee discharged. a8~tr,a.E@& ~
a. COMPLIMENTS AND REGRETS.
The Hon, B. G.. Northrop, superintendent
Of public instruction in Connecticut, au
eminent educator, had been invited to at
tend this meeting of the Association. The.
Corresponding Secretary at this point read
the following telegram from him .r,.,zE i: i.
=, ~, "NEw HAyENs July 8, 1873.
Obtained disabled by severe carbun.
cle., Connecticut sends cordial greetings.
Success attend your meeting. ,r, .....4. :.
,, - ,s.,>,ss, "B. G. NoRTHRor." =
To this dispatch, under instructions OF th
Assoeia ton, the following reply was t e!
graphed ~ 2 ~ -; :. -, }R.' ',m' .AL !,
=. ~ e ALExAsDR1A, July s,,1s7s. = :,
." Hon. B. G. Northrop, NeD Haren :o'H :. :.
"The Educational Association Of Virginia
returns the greeting sent us from Connecti-
cut. We cordially reciprocate your .synpa-
thy and sincerely regret your ABSENCE . =
- IN - "E. s. JoYEEs, President" =