4887 
THE BUBAL UEW-YOBKEB 
Chronicle a portrait of the fruit is given as 
seen at Fig. 473. This is one of the novelties 
among hardy shrubs, that will not disappoint 
our readers. 
books, and above all have a record of each 
child’s work kept. From the time when he 
first comes iuto the school a record of bis 
studies and monthly advancement should be 
kept. Then the next teacher can tell what 
work has been done and where the work 
should commence. This will require extra 
work on the part of the teacher, but the board 
should insist on it It is done with good re¬ 
sults in all graded schools, and will save the 
pupil’s time and prove an incentive in your 
school. 
Lastly, as regards the teacher. I have re¬ 
served this for the last because it is most im¬ 
portant. In the first place, hire one teacher 
for the full school year. Nothing can be 
more wasteful than constant changes. It 
takes nearly a month for a new teacher to 
find bis pupils out. Don’t hire a man for the 
w inter term, simply because he wants to earn 
a little money and there are troublesome 
boys. If the boys can’t come to school for 
busiuess, let them stay at home. A compe¬ 
tent woman teacher, properly backed by a 
school board, can teach any school. 1 say 
“properly backed”—don’t forget that she is a 
teacher not a prize-fighter. It is better to 
have a bright, energetic woman, who puts 
heart into the work and who will take an in¬ 
terest in the school, than constant changes, 
even though one term be taught by a man 
during the school year. Be careful in the 
selection of a teacher. Not every one who 
holds a certificate is capable of teaching your 
school. At least use as much rare in the 
selection of a teacher as a stock breeder 
would in selecting a trainer for his choice 
trotting horses. Your children arethorough- 
DOES YOUR DISTRICT SCHOOL PAY? 
IF NOT, WHY NOT? 
Some pertinent questions; a nice school- 
house and surroundings needed, withplen- 
ty of fuel and ventilation; a systematic 
course of study; the teacher; duties of pa¬ 
rents and school officers. 
Millions of dollars are speut every year 
on education. Is it spent to the best advan¬ 
tage? In the cities the work is carefully sys¬ 
tematized. There are convenient buildings, 
with everything to make the work pleasant 
and profitable. But in the country, where 
most of the readers of the Rural educate 
their children, how is it? Is your district 
school in the best possible condition? Un¬ 
doubtedly your fences are in good shape, your 
barns safe and warm for the winter, and your 
stock will receive good care; bub will your 
children, in school, have the care they need? 
Is your district educating the best kind of 
American citizens? 
Do your school-house grounds look neglect¬ 
ed? Are the privies unclean and covered 
with inscriptions? Is the school-house dreary 
from without and cheerless within? Is the 
room poorly heated, badly ventilated and 
lighted in such a mauner as to hurt your chil¬ 
dren’s eyes? Is there any system in the studies 
taught, and is there a change of teachers two 
or three times a year? If your school has 
none of these faults you are gettiug good re¬ 
turns for your money. If it has any of them, 
fNovhtralbl 
THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 
C. P. GILLETTE. 
Introduction of the pest-, soon becomes use¬ 
less; a destroyer of flowers, fruits and 
grain; all hands against it; flee strong 
objections to it; best methods of destroying 
the pests. . 
The English, or House Sparrow (Pyrgita 
domestical was first brought to this country 
in 1358, The object in introducing this bold 
and intrusive little foreigner, was the de¬ 
struction of certain insects that infested the 
shade trees of some of the New York and 
New England cities. When first introduced 
and before they learned how to get an easier 
and more palatable food in their new home, 
these birds devoured whatever eatable thing 
came in their way, and as a result, the trees 
were almost entirely cleared of the span-worm 
and other insect larvte that were so annoying 
to pedestrians and so injurious to the trees. 
As a result of this, the birds made friends 
rapidly and soon were scattered through all 
the large Eastern cities. Laws were enacted 
for their protection and comfort; bird-houses 
were built in trees and other places; and the 
populace fed them freely from their doors. 
As a result of all this pampering, together 
with the discoveries which the birds soon 
made in the fruit yards and grain fields of the 
rural districts, they have become lazy glut¬ 
tons, feeding principally upon fruit, grain, 
and sweetmeats, and they are now almost use¬ 
less as destroyers of insects. The only time 
the sparrow pretends to prey upon insects 
now, is during brood-rearing and then cater¬ 
pillars and other larva* are gathered to feed 
the young. Aside from the very slight bene¬ 
fit derived during this period, this bird may 
be put down as an untnixed evil. It is cer¬ 
tainly high time that united and persistent 
efforts were being made to check the rapid 
increase and serious depredations of this little 
enemy of the farmer, fruit-grower, and all 
who love quiet aud cleanliness about their 
homes. 
That a great re-action has taken place in 
the minds of the people as to the usefulness of 
sparrows is evident from the fact that States 
and cities are now legislating against them, 
and offering bounties for their destruction. 
Doubtless there are still those who would not 
like to see the sparrow driven from our midst, 
but the burden of testimony from the most 
careful and competent observers will substan¬ 
tiate the following charges: 
1st. That because of the quarrelsome and 
irritable nature of the sparrow, many of our 
native birds, prized for their song and insect¬ 
ivorous habits, are rapidly disappearing. 
Among these are the blue bird, the chipping- 
sparrow. the house wren, the great crested 
fly catcher and others. 
2nd. That the sparrow has come to care 
little for insects, feeding almost entirely on 
buds, blossoms, cherries, raspberries and 
strawberries, ofteu doing great damage to 
fields of wheat, rye, corn and other grains. 
3rd. That it is exceedingly unpleasant to 
be be obliged to listen to the continuous chat¬ 
ter of these birds in rain or shine, summer or 
winter. 
4th. That where there are not sufficient box¬ 
es prepared for them to nest in, they very often 
occupy the cornices and window brackets of 
dwellings, and are a source of much annoy¬ 
ance because of their droppings. 
oth. They are often very troublesome 
where chickens or doves are fed, stealing much 
of the food that is thrown to the latter. 
In all these ways, as well as in many others, 
the sparrow has proven itself a nuisance in 
this country, as well as in Europe. The bene¬ 
fit derived from it iu the destruction of insect 
life probably does not exceed the beuefit for¬ 
merly derived through the insectivorous birds 
it drives before it, It is estimated upon good 
authority that in France these birds consume 
and destroy 10,000,000 bushels of wheat a year. 
If it is ever true that "a stitch m time will save 
nine,” it is certainly true in the destruction of 
the sparrow, for they are very prolific, usually 
raising three broods in a season w ith five birds 
in a brood. 
It is probable that the best, methods for de¬ 
stroying the sparrow are not yet generally 
known. They can often be taken in large 
numbers by means of a large uet thrown over 
trees where they roost during the night. On 
accoimt of their being very tamo they eau be 
baited into traps quite readily and taken iu 
tbis way. In the winter when other birds are 
not about a wholesale destruction of the spar- 
XANTIIOCERAS SORBIFOLIA FRUIT 
Chronicle. P 
Re-engraved from the Gardener’s 
you are to blame for it, aud the sooner the 
faults are remedied the more profitable will 
be the investment. 
It pays to have shade trees iu the yard; the 
childreu enjoy them aud can do better work 
when they are happy. It pays to keep a 
a wooden school-house painted, and why not 
paint it some attractive color? It pays to 
have a good wood shed. It pays well to have 
the privies in good condition. The sugges¬ 
tions by Professor Cook in the Rural of 
August 6, could easily be followed for a 
school, ami would odd much to the moral 
tone of the district. This is a very important 
point, for right here starts so much of the im¬ 
morality with which district schools cau be 
charged. With this arrangement you should 
have a good well of pure water, a driven w ell 
is best. If the school-house is heated by a 
stove, have it covered by a sheet-irou jacket 
and supply this with fresh air from the out¬ 
side. Then provide au exit for the foul 
air. Take it from the floor. It will require 
a good deal of thought and some expense to do 
this but it will pay well. Could you sit all day 
and study with a hot head aud cold feet? Yet, 
during the winter the children ui most district 
schools are exacted to do this. Make the 
walls attractive by making them eleun; then 
have pictures so that it w ill be homelike. 
Have curtains for the windows. If you are 
re-seating the school-house, use siuglo seats. 
How about the course of study and text 
books; Are the childreu allowed to bring 
what books they like aud is the teacher 
required to teach everything from A B C to 
geometry? If so, something is neglected. 
Plan a course of study, adopt a set of text 
breds and need skillful handling. 
“Yes,” you say, “but we elected our officers 
and they will attend to all these tbiugs.” Or 
perhaps you are au officer aud don’t want the 
trouble. Well, will it pay to let the matter 
rest? If you are an officer and are not sure 
what to da, consult with some experienced 
educator in the neighboring town aud theu go 
to work carefully, but systematically, to make 
your school a model of its kind. It will yield 
the largest kind of returns. If you are a 
parent aud not an officer, stir the officers up 
to their duty. Give them uo rest uutil they 
bare brought the school w here itshould be. Re¬ 
member that w hile the teacher has a personal 
interest, in the school your interest is vital. 
Next to earning money for the bare necessaries 
of life, no work is more important than edu¬ 
cating our children, and the influence of the 
district school for good or bad is felt all their 
lives. c. b. c. 
Clrboviniltuval 
THE NEW HARDY SHRUB XANTHO 
CERAS SORBIFOLIA. 
The R. N.-Y. was the first American paper 
to illustrate this shrub and to call the public 
attention to its general beauty. This wuo II 
years ago. Since that time it has been raised 
from seed at the Rural Grounds, the seedlings 
blooming sometimes the second year. In as 
much as it has proved hardy iu this climate 
and will probably thrive considerably further 
north, it must lie accepted as a valuable ac¬ 
quisition. In a late number of the Gardener’s 
