56 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



but he suffers a positive loss in acquiring at least two or three false 

 ideas. For who ever spoke the name copperas, without receiving 

 the impression that copper entered into its composition, or plaster 

 of Paris, without the thought of its coming from Paris. On the 

 contrary, sulphuric acid, sulphate of iron, sulphate of lime, and sul- 

 phate of soda, are names not only more easily learned, but every 

 one of them indicates the composition of the thing named. Be- 

 sidto, we should remember that all names, whether common oi 

 technical, are alike new, and to be learned by the scholar. Hence 

 he would not only gain nothing, but positively lose much by th( 

 proposed banishment of names. But we have perhaps already ex- 

 tended our censorious remarks too far, and the reader maybe 

 ready to inquire what we would do, and how we would do it ' 

 Doubtless the first thing to be done is to prepare teachers for thit 

 w^ork. For this purpose the stud}/ of agricultural science shouli 

 be immediately introduced into the state normal school, and inti 

 all those academies where young men and women are trained fo 

 district school teachers. Again, at every session of the teachen' 

 institutes, in the several counties, suitable persons should be en' 

 gaged to give a course of lectures, exhibiting in plain and familiai 

 language the nature and importance of the study, and the h& 

 modes of illustrating it. To accomplish all this, those who sen 

 young men to our academies and teachers' institutes, have onh' 1 

 ask it, and it vviU be done. For all these institutions dependin/ 

 on their patrons for support, will never long resist the expressc 

 will of those patrons in regard to any particular study. Let th, 

 be done, and its introduction into all those district schools wheii 

 there are scholars of sufficient age and attainments, would folloi 

 as a matter of course ; and then the whole work will have be€j 

 accomplished. It will be seen that we ask for neither new legi 

 lation, nor aid from the public treasury. And why should we 

 There are already academies, seminaries, institutes, scattered ovi' 

 the state, almost within sight of every man's door ; and all ei 

 tirely subject to the control of the people. Then would it Dv 

 be infinitely easier, more economical, and wiser, to make thei 

 what they should be, than to thrust them aside for the establis 

 ment of new ones, involving the expenditure of thousands of dc 

 lars. Indeed, we are sure that half the money and less than haj 

 the number of speeches which would be required to get a law fj s 



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