33 



in the same direction, and thus, it is believed, a knowledge of the constellations 

 conld be readily obtained, a correct conception of the zodiac be formed, and a 

 familiarity with many celestial phenomena be acquired. With the aid of good 

 chronometers, sextants, theodolites, &c., students could be made acquainted with 

 the principles and practice of observing for latitude, longitude, variation, dip, 

 intensity, and other phenomena. 



In the normal school, in order to give a correct idea how to teadi geography, 

 it is recommended that the students, who are to be future teachers, should 

 measure the garden, and lay down on paper a ground-plan of the same; then 

 measure and plot the farm ; next, the township. Then, even without measuring, 

 they may, from the county surveyor's field-notes, make a map of the county, 

 marking its townships and its county seat ; then one of the State, giving the range 

 lines east and west of their principal meridians, the township lines north and south 

 of their base, also all the county seats and principal rivers ; next, an outline 

 map of the United States, giving principal rivers and mountains, also all the 

 State capitals ; finally, a map of the world, with the lines of latitude, longitude, 

 the equator, tropical, arctic, and antarctic circles, preceding the whole by a full 

 explanation to the professor how a hemisphere can be represented on a plane 

 surface, so that he may judge of the correctness of their ideas, and their conse- 

 quent ability to make the subject clear to others. 



7. Department of Chemistry. Besides having all the purest reagents and best 

 modern facilities for teaching the student accurate qualitative and quantitative 

 analyses, assaying, &c., this department should give some knowledge of practical 

 arts, such as soldering, silvering, gilding, ink and soap making, dyeing, and the 

 like, at least so far as to make the student understand the principles thoroughly ; 

 and it should also render familiar the taking of specific gravities, applied to solids, 

 liquids, and gases, also the gauging of contents, in vessels of different shapes, &c, 

 All the substances should be labelled with the full name, and give the composi- 

 tion in chemical symbols. Youman's and Foster's charts should hang constantly 

 in view. Although the remark does not apply especially to the laboratory, I may 

 here observe that everything used should, as far as practicable, be definite, de- 

 terminate in size and shape, to convey information, chiefly by appealing to the 

 eye. For instance, on the upper part of the wall, not used for blackboard pur- 

 poses, might be diagrams, suspended or painted on the plastering, to represent 

 one hundred square inches, ten square inches, an English foot, a French foot, 

 a French metre (Mf^ English inches,) a tabular comparison of French and 

 English measures and weights; also of Fahrenheit's, Reaumur's, and the Centi- 

 grade thermometers ; synopses of some important chemical bodies, giving in dif- 

 ferent columns, 1st, the name; 2dly, the symbol; 3dly, the atomic weight; 

 4thly, the specific gravity; 5thly, how obtained; Gthly, how distinguished; 

 7thly, for what used ; also tables, giving the apothecary's hieroglyphics, com- 

 parison of troy and avoirdupois weights, &c. In the same manner, on the 

 upper part of the walls in the mathematical room, might be painted triangles, 

 parallelograms, &c., giving briefly, in the interior space of the figure, the rule 

 for calculating its area. 



V. ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES. 



Many merchants spend $50,000 in building and furnishing private dwellings 

 for themselves and families. Not a few expend $50,000 on the house, and 

 $50,000 on the furniture and the appurtenances, for interior and exterior orna- 

 ment. It would appear, then, not to be demanding an unreasonable appropria- 

 tion if we ask double that sum from a great and flourishing State for the facili- 

 ties necessary to diffuse knowledge, spread morality and true religion, educate 

 the soldiers' "orphans, and prevent crime, when a State unhesitatingly appro- 

 priates those or larger sums for the erection of penitentiaries to punish the 

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