502 THE GROUNDSWELL. 



the latter easy. Chemistry is, in truth, the &quot; corner-stone 

 of agriculture; &quot; nevertheless, a man may be a good chemist 

 and yet a very poor farmer. Mathematics, as a science, 

 underlies mechanics, and yet a knowledge of mathematics 

 in itself would not constitute a mechanic. Nevertheless, the 

 student who first acquires a knowledge of the principles of 

 chemistry, will make a better farmer than he who knows 

 nothing about it. Just so, a good mathematician would 

 make a better and far more intelligent mechanic than he 

 who had simply a smattering of arithmetic. What we want, 

 then, is education to the several professions in life. 



WHERE SHALL OUR CHILDREN LEARX? 



We should begin in our common schools ; but, instead of 

 carrying the pupil forward in the old-time grooves, ground 

 him thoroughly in reading, writing, and arithmetic. The first 

 should include that much neglected study the proper use of 

 words ; the second, the equally neglected one of facility in ex 

 pressing them on paper; and the third, turning the figures 

 we are taught to some practical account. How many of our 

 teachers are well grounded in this practical application 

 themselves ? Very few. And yet they are the persons who 

 are supposed to have become especially fitted for imparting 

 such instruction. 



They have been educated in an undeviating groove, and 

 are only fitted to mould the youth in the same inflexible 

 line. We elect County and State Superintendents of 

 Schools; but they, too, have been formed in the. same 

 groove. One thing too many of them have learned, namely, 

 that there is money in a change or exchange of text-books 

 for the schools ; and this knowledge many of these officials 

 are forward enough to turn to practical account. After he 



