, 1875-08-08

purple shell-ish Of two sorts Tho dinner itscl
consisted Of Bow's udder !; boar'e head; fish
paaties boar-pasties; ducks; boiled teals
hares roasted fowls starch pastry; Pontit
pastry
Puslsc SCHOOLS IN FLORENCE.
The system OF public schools now existing ir
Florence. Italy, was established in 1865. In 1871
there were in tho city thirty communal Q,
municipal schools. attended by 1000 childrec
and taught by 266 instructors. At the aame time
| there were several thousand older or advanced
pupils receiving instruction in tho night schools
OF schools for secondary teaching. The COM
munal school when complete in all it.
departmenss ID divided into six classes,
l. preparatory school forms the lowest
class. The next three classes are
included in tho lower grade Of elementary
! teaching, and the remaining two classes compose
tho upper school. Not above fifty scholars ara
| allowed in room therefore it often happens
! that one class will occupy two apartments under
two different teachers As the preceptors Of the
lowest and the highest classes have assistants it
| follows that school of cot more than 800 chill
dren, and generally OF many less, will be pro-
yided with eight teacherH- The school buildings
are we'll fitted, supplied with ample and excel
lent material and are conveniently arranged and
exceilentiy cared for.
Tue teache1s are obliged to undergo thorough
system Of training in order to secure admission
into tbs schools. Two years attendance at the
Normal School obtains secoud-class certificate
and three years lrst-cass certificate. 4 whole
year is then given to practices under teacher in
3 communal school, for which no remuneration
is received. At the expiration Of this time the
holder Of eccond-class certificate may apply for
post as teacher in any OF the lower four
classes but only the holder Of first-class GER
tideate may aspire to 3 piace in the two higher
grades.
There is but one school session daily, and this
begins at in the morning. a recess Of an hour
at coon allows the chlldrea time for recreation
and to dispose OF The lunch With which they pro-
vide themselves. In the girls school needle
work is taught from to $3.50, and gymnastics and
choral singing for the remainder Of the session
which closes At 4:30. In the higher grades the
boys are dlsmissed at 8, having previously had
their hour Of drill in singing. Boys and girls
are taught the same things IN the same classes
throughout the schools Of Florence. Geography,
grammar, analysia, elementary geometry, and
natuza history are studied by chidren under 10.
Great attention is paid to lessons in compost
which often contains chlldren OF 7. The exer-
cises are st first very simple, but most skill
fully elaborated aud end by giving the pupils of
the advanced classes At extraordinary command
Of language and facility of expression. Draw
ing is also carefully taught, with admirable ro-
suits. while among the gir.s embroidery becomes,
under the instruction given, almost ine art.
Plain noedle-Work is not neglected, aud The
mendinR Of stockings au0 the cutting and max
ing Of mons shirts are practlced with proper
painstaking by girls in the upper grade.
No foreign languages are taught III the COM
for tho higher schools, to which tho
pupils have access who desire to
pursue then education for considerable course
ct time. lhe municipal schools arc daily visited
by oficers whose business II is TO inspect their
lnanaeements, supetlntend the examinations,
and attend to their general weil-bciug. 4 med
lcai officer also viBits each school weakly to in
qure into it's sanitary condition. The pupils
pass hi-meothl5 examination, the h,!al one oc-
curing in :he last fortnight OF June; after
which the school year Closes and then follows a
vacation Of two moths. From this description
1t would aopear that the system Of common
school education in practice in America might
borrow With advantage some OF the features that |
characterize the public schools of Italy.
RUSSIAN HORSES.
Tho returns Of the Central Statistical Bureau !
OF St. Peter,bu1g publish the fact thai, although
the supply Il decreasing, Russia maintans a |
larger stockot horses than any other country in |
Europe. Ithas almost three times IS many in !
proportion t* it's population - either England,
Prussia, France, or Austria The number Of |
these useful quadrupels owned in it's dopninions
ia upwards ot $4,000 600. or twenty seven to eyery
Inn ;nb.hita,ta. Sibe,;. 49,. ~ haat s,,n,r
49,. $3.50: ~ 49, a;s.-;". .s 'no w.. eupp,.
@ue1o o"'1e - 'u1e uIae] aoiSe ~ at"os1
every mao O: tae popnlation. foiand Finland, |
and LAucass possess bus few, wI,lle in the
South and Southwestern Governments o.en
txla tba n,.,a ~ horsaa .,r,oat .,tnoatha~ r..
~ ~ ,aaaas Ai''o' s''1'A iof
~ Jul po1e7-
The steppe brse, the mountain horse of Cauca-
sla. the forest horse of tho north and tha
drsueht hore. cat1ed tbe B;tinc Tha sta,na
horses are O yar,ons vat kindrsd deacant srd
are all notedin preatav mr. 1ess ds,raa for taa,,
slghs, swift sace, gleat endurance. and exceed
ns hardness. They live out Of doors the year
etoono, ana re capanle OF sustaining extreme
~ drn ~" C..aa 1ua seveie p'isas'ous o' looo
spirited, euluring. cautions. md rure-footed
The uorthen horses are distinguished Tor good
;eInper, actr!ty' strength, and endurance The
3 s; muln .sAe tnelr name from the 517er
,arG wnrE wa a. n,,,c nno ',. Hp1pseu ~ ~
8 eAid TO benearly extinct,