Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-13

iormitv of text books. has not sufficiently
subsidized to Justify q return TO It. u was THIS
that caused The "cNiiuctiuu OF the board aud
the creation Of supervision resting solely In
single person" and II gave the cause ufpop-
ular education In Vermont a blow rom which
II has not yet recovered. The board WIN its
secretary was abolished by the legislature
by an almost unanimous vote in lsil' nut us
books remained until, by another step back
ward I'M ISIS, the uniformity oi text books was
destroyed by IN act allowing each town 70
select lis own books. The obnoxious nrith.
inctic then len Vermont only two towns vol.
ing to retain it, while l,G towns went back To
the "ObsOlcte' arithmetic of 1861.
The at of 1873, creating ~ many "BOurds'
as there are towns, providing over 100 persons,
instead of six, "to prevent the too frequent
chungc of text books In common schools
was not rs destructive OF uniformity as mlBhJ
have been expected. The tesulute good sense
Of teachers and town superintendent secur
eel to some counties absolute uniformity, nut
where this was not the case the result has
been deplornblc. Before the meeting of the
next Legislature, 2tO other boards will be
elected tu create further diversity, unless
your wisdom intcrpOscs and provides some
other course. ! respectfully suggest, rs most
economical and conservative that the Super
intendent be directed To select a list rom
the books now in use in the largest mum
Der OF towns that towns be allowed TO cohtlh
ne using books now adopted nut thut IN case
"A change Is made by any town in 1871, us pro.
vided by law, it shall be To the list prepared
by the superintendent. Thus viii "A majority
vote of ali the towns decide what the list shall
be, and we shall gradually return To the old
system.
the reauers i'm use by orr schools. Emphasis
and infection, pitch and meditation, can be
taught as well from the Oratlons of Patrick
Henry aud Daniel Webster, from the writings
OF Andrew Jackson and charles sumner from
the patriotic poetry of Whittier Holmes, Bry-
ant, Lowell ana Drake, n from the works of
DeFoe or the plays OF shakespeare, while
from the daily dlill in reading such lessons of
freedom. nationality and patriotism, there
viii be taught that love ANA duty toward the
country and its nag, which, when ucc aston
arises, VIII presentu race OF patriots as de
voted to liberty, and rs ready to defend it, rs
were our fathers of the Revolution, and those
who succeeded them in more recent contests.
The following table from the port of Mr.
Cunant, the superintendent IN sso, gives some
, '''' $50 1872 $50 lsso
Number Of children In schools@llo '9}9l own '3&S
Number OF teachcrs.......... 5,O9 4,i'W f,3i9
Guiding board, ofteacher- s315 s372 s6O6 s5b3
Entire expenditures bv districts and towns tnr
schools, $50, s2lI iR3j 1861 sj3i.t2 $50. s4id21-
2S; lSSj, StiG2l6.yO.
Tnecus, here given does not include that of
hooks which, when no changes are made, are
estimated to cost Sl2l,OOO per year. In the
confusion incident to frequent changes of law
and supervision, the price of books mas great
ly increased, and most of them are of such
poor quality IN paper and binding rs to need
frequent renewal. Radical LEGISLATION can
change tins and effect u saving to t-e people
of One-haif Che present cost of books, AID tnis
saving could be applied to Obtaining Il better
grade OF teuchers, when is our present great
need.
II Is worthy of your consideration that for
twenty years nearly all our otllciM schoo.
boards have urged the adoption Of the town
system, and greater assistance to Normal
schools, some difference of opinion exists
Its to whether we should have Il greater or
less number of Normal schools, Those we
have are under most excellent management,
and are do ng great good. IN every depart
ment of education trust you viii eNerctsea
wise ibemlity. The superintendent should
have sufficient funds 10 contin his meetings,
and in greater numb, r. The people under.
stand their duty, but need to be continually
l..I L.. fan. in.
fuse life, create interest, enlarge ideas, and
increase the zeal of all who attend them.
\ request has been sent to me from highly
respectable scourcu that should ask your ut.
tenton to the halliday system OF schools.
The public library is the most valuable al
iunct of the public school. No greater aid can
he given to the cause of education tnun by
uflording to the pupils In our schools free ac.
cess to large and carefully chosen collec-
lions of books. 1t is gratifying To note that
the number Of public libraries IN our state is
increasing each year.
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT AND STATE AGvICUI~
1uRAL COLLEGE.
The act of Congress OF July >, 1862 which
gave to Vermont the fund of which the in
come goes to this institution, provides that
this income shall be used for the support OF
at least one College 'where the leading OBJ
iect shall be, without excluding other scien
life and classical studies, and including mill
tHry tactics, to teach such branches Of learn
ing as are related to agriculture and the me
chunic urts, in such manner rs the Legisla
lures may respectively prescribe, in ORDER to
promote the liberal and practical education
of the industrial classes in the several pur
suits and professions in life" November .,
ls,ij, the Legislature passed an act constitut
ing the prcst mt institution, and provided that
the course of study should be such "us shall
render the whole instruction in conformity
with said act of Congress" In the succeeding
February the trustees in accordance with
law, established IA prOicssOrship OF modern
languages, II professorsrip of chemistry and
its application to agriculture and the mcchan,
ic arts, professoship of geology, minerulogy
min "a fnf mil
tics The next August II professor Of Negeta
BILE and animal physiology. was appointed,
and II course of study established embracing
laboratory practice i'll liz application 10 hgri-
culture, analysis OF soils, relations of soil to
vegetable productions, botany, forestry, hHb-
its of domestic animals, insects injurious to
vegetation, and also civil engineering. Pro
tessiOnal instructors OF military tactics have
also been provided, and special winter
courses OF lectures have been introduced ON
agricultural chemistry, botany, physics, en-
tomulOgy, stock breeding dairying, fruit cul.
ture, road making fam accounts and bee cul.
ture, and these COURSES viii be renewed and
extended rs they are called for. The trustees
and officers have been constant and indeiat
igaDle in their efforts To comply with the law
in letter and spirit.
At the time of It's charter it was an expert
ment and many leading men through the
state had great fears rs to its success and
would have preferred n separate institution
have conferred with many of them during
the past summer, ana find that they are nov
satisfied that the course taken was Il wise and
iudiciOus one, and lis results most beneficial,
their only regret being the limited number OF
students who have awaited themselves OF lis
privileges. Legislative committees have
been appointed to investigate its progress
and management, and have found and report
ed that the trustees and managers have stu
diOusly aimed and faithfully labored to com
ply with their charters, and TO meet, SO far ns
their means would allow, all the demands for
instruction that have been made upon them
and that more than the increase derived from
the United states fund is annually expended
in paying the expenses of the Industrial de-
partment. The President and Professors are
always III readiness to respond to calls for
public addresses from lyceums, literary,
agricultural, and other associations, and in
this way do IA vast amount of good, and IL Is
TO be noted that they uniformly andpointedy
enforce theidea OF the dignity and nobility of
labor.
Some persons favor an experimental farm
to be used in connection with the college,
and thoughtessly reflect ON the Trustees for
not providing one. The United States law
provides that not over ten per cent, of the
fund may be expended for land, and that on
no "pretense whatever shall any part OF the
fund be used for the "erection, preservation,
or repair" of any building. When the state
is ready to erect the buildings and assume
their preservation, we shall doubtless find
the Trustees ready to provide the land and
tutors Experimental farming had its origin
IN Prussia thirty years since, and has rapidly
extended until there are now many stations
in Prussia, France, England, and our own
country. They are to be found in our own
latitude and cimale in neighbonng States.
Everything of value in the results of this ex-
peri mental farming is published in aglicutu-
al papers, and is easily and cheuply accessi
BILE TO all Such work in Vermont would be
largely duplicate Every State that accepted
the government fund has largely aided its ag-
ucultural College, in some cases to the amount
OF millions. Vermont has not yet expended
cent. The Institution has always kept out
OF debt and its management has inspired
such confidence that private benehcence is
being largely extended To it, Through the
llberllity of Mr. John =. Howard, the old edi-
nee is now being greatly enlarged and almost
entirely rebuilt, and the announcement OF
MIR. Billings generous gift to the University
mas Just been made public. II has an eXten-
sive library, art gallery, laboratory, and a
hlghly successful medical department.
! respectfully suggest that you take into