yjij BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



given during the session, was that of Hon. W. J. Corthell, 

 Superintendent of Common Schools, which was on the rela- 

 tions of the natural sciences to common school education, 

 taking the form of a plea for their introduction into our 

 system of education in preference to many studies which now 

 find place there. At present, Mr. Corthell said, our common 

 school work is performed too much on the cramming system. 

 The pupils, instead of being taught to observe and investigate 

 the works of nature, and to understand the practical mat- 

 ters of common life from a scientific stand-point, are simply 

 taught to remember words about grammar, geography, and 

 arithmetic — things Avhich they do not comprehend — and to 

 give them forth at the demand of the teacher. This memoriz- 

 ,ing and cramming is not education, though many falsely so 

 'Call it. There is need that a reform should at once be made 

 in thie particular, and it can be made just as soon as the 

 '-public sentiment of the people demands it. Children become 

 ■.tired and weary of the monotony of school life ; and it must 

 •be so from the very nature of the case. The scholar cannot 

 •have his mind upon books about which he knows little, when 

 ■his keart and soul are out among the birds and trees and flowers. 

 ■In Older to succeed he must have his soul in sympathy with 

 'Work. Nature has vast charms for these young minds, and 

 if they could be trained and directed in an intelligent study 

 of her forces, the school-room would be no longer a prison, 

 •and we should see a more thoughtful, earnest, practical and 

 observing class of scholars in our public schools. At this 

 point in his lecture the speaker gave an interesting account 

 of his visit;to some of the schools in New Brunswick, where 

 the scholars were put iuto communication with nature, and 

 the good results of such a system. All about the school- 

 room were boxes of plants, seeds were growing in glass jars 

 so the process of germination could be observed, and little 

 museums of stones, minerals, shells, insects, &c., were dis- 

 played about the room. The efiect of a study of nature in 

 this way, and of the collection of natural objects made by 

 •the pupils, was marvelous. They were very happy, close 



