544 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
vicinity. Unfortunately our school is not noted for any¬ 
thing. Interest the parents in the school by interesting 
the children. This is the only way to reach them. If 
children are interested in anything their parents will be¬ 
come interested with them to the extent of their love for 
them. Those men or women should be elected directors 
who can appreciate a good education, and who are willing 
to devote a part of their time (not spare time) to what is in 
their opinion the best interests of the school. It is hard to 
comply with any rules in the selection of a teacher; if a 
person is a good judge of human nature he will have no 
trouble in making a proper selection. I prefer ladies to 
gentlemen as teachers in every instance. They are usually 
more observing, have a better faculty for interesting chil¬ 
dren in their studies, and a keener sense of right and wrong. 
The moulding of the growth and development of a child’s 
mind is one of woman’s greatest gifts. The less changing 
of teachers the better. It is hard for some children to get 
acquainted with their teachers so that they can receive the 
full benefit of their teaching, and it is the same with the 
teachers; they become acquainted with their scholars, their 
dispositions, their faults and weaknesses; when they have 
done this the best part of a term has passed by, and if 
teachers are changed it is an absolute loss to the pupils. 
By all means have one place for the teachers to board and 
either pay their board or pay them sufficient salaries to 
enable them to do so. One great, glaring fault with the 
management of the district school is being so niggardly 
with the school funds. In regard to text-books, there is 
one that might be changed in every school to the great 
benefit of most of the pupils. The higher classes in reading 
might discard their readers and substitute a good agricul¬ 
tural paper; a double benefit would thus be derived. There 
is a great mistake made in allowing the older scholars to 
take up the time of the teachers with studies that belong 
to a higher grade. Think of a Latin class in a country 
school! How out of place, but still it is to be found. The 
greater share of country school graduates become farmers 
or farmers’ wives. Why should they not be taught some 
of the elementary principles of agriculture? This is of more 
consequence and use to them by far than higher mathe¬ 
matics, etc. In a neighboring district, they are fortunate 
in having a very energetic teacher; by giving entertain¬ 
ments, charging a slight admission fee, she has been able 
to start a school library. There is more interest taken in 
that school than in any other known to me. Two of the 
directors are ladies; perhaps this has something to do with 
it. Every school could easily have a supply of current lit¬ 
erature such as agricultural and family papers, magazines, 
etc., if the parents after reading them, would give them to 
the school. A great many scholars do not have access to 
any such reading at home. The future prosperity and 
general welfare of a community rest with the school facil¬ 
ities of to day. So let us spare neither money nor pains to 
make the district school a success. w. d. herrick. 
Rockford, Ill. 
“I Never Taught School.” 
1—3. Complaints are made of frequent change of books. 
My remedy is a national law securing uniformity. I never 
saw but one really good school, and it gained its pre¬ 
eminence by reason of the skill of the teacher. 4. Men of 
Christian culture. 5. Change until you get a good one. 
6 . Men and women who teach, should teach as an ulti¬ 
matum, and not use the school and school money as a 
stepping-stone to something else. Here is the chief cause 
of failure. F. H. Y. 
Alexandria, Dak. 
Indifference Shown by Parental 
1 . I think the greatest fault in our community is the in¬ 
difference shown by parents to their children who are 
attending school regularly, too often keeping their 
children from school for some trivial excuse or work. 2. 
School houses are too often neglected and bare of all neat¬ 
ness and comfort and the parents would not think of living 
in such a house as they send their children to. Too often 
colds and diseases are contracted by the discomforts of the 
district school-house. But I am glad to note in the last 
few years a decided improvement in the comfort and ven¬ 
tilation of the school-houses throughout the county ; also 
in the competency of the teachers, which is due to the en¬ 
terprise of our school commissioners. 3. How to interest 
parents and the public generally to the importance of our 
schools is a serious question and one difficult to decide, 
but 1 believe it must be done largely (as all reforms are) 
by the .press, and I am glad The Rural has commenced 
4. Teachers are usually hired for too short a time. They 
should never be hired for less than a year. If hired only 
for one term they only get tbeir school organized and 
ready for work and then the next teacfler must do the 
same thing again, and thus much valuable time is lost. Do 
you think it would be considered policy in a college to 
change the faculty every term ? If not, why do so in a 
district school ? 5. If a teacher and a district can agree 
on the question of boarding around 1 can see no objection 
to such an arrangement, but I think it is often very un¬ 
pleasant for the teacher, especially should the teacher be a 
ladv. 6. 1 think the election of school commissioners 
should not be a political question or issue, but they should 
be chosen solely for their ability, and should invariably be 
men who appreciate the importance of our public schools, 
and not men elected solely for their political value, and 
who are expected to use the energies for the advance¬ 
ment of party, regardless of the interests of the schools. 
The latter is too often the case, and the people need 
awakening to the importance.of electing proper persons to 
superintend our school affairs. EMMONS POND. 
Greene Co., N. Y. 
Schools, Teachers and Trustees. 
Why Support Schools ?—Our schools are established 
and maintained by general taxation, on the assumption 
that the public welfare and the perpetuity of free institu¬ 
tions depend upon the education of the masses of the peo¬ 
ple. In other words, it is a matter of public policy. There 
are no other grounds on which you can justly be taxed to 
pay for educating me and my children. The question then 
arises : How much, and what kind of education Is so neces¬ 
sary for the public good that it will justify the taxation of 
our people to obtain the necessary funds for supplying it ? 
Here opinions are likely to differ. My own opinion would 
be that only those studies known as the common English 
branches, including civil government, should be included 
in that education. I would not have the people taxed to 
pay for teaching the higher mathematics, including 
algebra, geometry, trigonometry, etc. Nor would I tax the 
people to pay for teaching the natural sciences, chemistry, 
botany, geology and the allied studies. Neither would I 
include any of the languages, living or dead, except our own. 
Not that I do not see and appreciate the value of these things. 
If everybody, especially the farmers, were well posted in 
these things they would make the world a better place to 
live in than it is now. There is a boundless world of beauty 
and glory all about us which most of us never see or dream 
of, A knowledge of these things would give us a peep at 
that world of wonders, give us a thousand new things to 
enjoy and capacity to enjoy them. But while all this is 
very desirable it is not necessary for a man to know these 
things in order to properly discharge his duties as a citizen 
of this republic. When we have taught him to read, to 
write, to make business calculations, to understand the 
geography and history of our country and the manner in 
which our government is conducted, we have done all that 
is required to enable him to properly and intelligently dis¬ 
charge his duties as a citizen. We have started him on 
the road and placed him within reach of the means by 
which he may advance himself to any eminence in knowl¬ 
edge or position to which he may aspire. We have done 
all that the safety and perpetuity of our free institutions 
demand that the public shall do for the individual. All, 
did I say ? No, not all. It is as important that our 
future citizens shall be taught good morals, the principles 
of right, justice, truth and honesty as it is that they shall 
be taught anything. If there is any reason why the public 
should educate our children in anything, that reason 
applies to the special teaching of good morals in our public 
schools. This teaching should not be simply of the neg¬ 
ative, passive sort, but should be positive, active, ag¬ 
gressive ! It is a one-sided and dangerous education which 
does not include the principles of good morals and the 
rights and duties which every man owes to his neighbor 
and the world at large. The more knowledge you give a 
person, without at the same time cultivating his moral 
qualities, the more accomplished a villain will he be and 
the greater scourge to the world at large. It is not your 
low villains, but your high toned, polished and accom¬ 
plished rogues who commit the crimes that strike the 
closest to the heart’s blood of the nation. 
Examination of Teachers.—Now, first and foremost 
in our schools we want good, competent teachers, and in 
order to be reasonably sure that we are getting such we 
want somebody to inquire into and pass upon their fit¬ 
ness. Our boards of school examiners are supposed to do 
this work for us, but I complain of them, that they do not 
and cannot properly do this work under the present sys¬ 
tem. The boards meet at various intervals during the 
year to examine teachers. One day is spent at each meet¬ 
ing. Anywhere from 25 to 150 teachers are present to be 
examined. Printed slips of test questions are passed 
around for the candidates to write out answers to. These 
questions are prepared at the Capitol and sent out by of¬ 
ficials who may or may not know or care anything about 
the wants of our common schools. If there is time, which 
there is not likely to be when the work which ought to 
occupy several days is crowded into one, the candidates are 
asked a few questions orally. If a certain percentage of 
the questions given out are correctly answered, the candi¬ 
date gets his certificate, otherwise not. Now, the best 
that can be said of this kind of examination is 
that it shows how familiar the teacher is with his 
books. If the teacher is one who is easily embarrassed, 
or has had access to the questions beforehand, it dots 
not even show that. Everybody knows that this is a very 
insufficient test of a teacher. We all know that many of 
our most erudite and accomplished scholars are absolute, 
total failures as teachers, while others, who do not possess 
a tithe of their education, are shining successes. It is not 
the person who knows the most, but the one who has the 
best faculty of imparting to others what he does know, of 
awakening in them the desire to learn, kindling their en¬ 
thusiasm, as each new truth is brought to light, and sus¬ 
taining it as he leads them onward on the road to wisdom. 
Such is the man who makes the best teacher. But the 
present system of examinations does not even determine 
the educational qualifications of teachers with reasonable 
certainty. I know instances in which teachers have been 
marked high in branches which they say they knew but 
little about. The test questions happened to be on topics 
which they did know. The same teachers were marked 
low in branches which they knew best about and were 
most familiar with. Teachers of years of successful ex¬ 
perience who pass creditable examinations in one county 
are plucked in another. A graduate of a high school who 
had uniformly stood at the head of her class and received 
the highest indorsements of her teachers failed to get a 
certificate, and so on to the end of the chapter. On the 
other hand, there is no adequate provision made in our 
present system for the examination of the teacher and his 
work in the school room. The boards of examination 
never see the teacher there. A person who, by reason of 
the lack of force of character and an unfortunate physical 
infirmity, was utterly unfit for a teacher, passed examina¬ 
tion, got a certificate, and undertook to teach one of our 
schools. The result was a most lamentable failure. The 
examineis knew nothing about it except by report of third 
AUG. 23 
parties, and the district lost both their school and the 
money paid the teacher. 
Test of a Teacher : Suggestions.— The only true and 
satisfactory test of a teacher is success in a school-room. I 
do not simply mean getting along smoothly and pleasantly, 
and having the good-will of the pupils and patrons. This 
is all right, but a teacher may do this and yet not earn his 
salt. The question is, does he so control and guide the 
pupils intrusted to his charge that good morals and good 
discipline prevail ? Are his scholars interested in their 
studies and are they making commendable progress ? Is 
his influence as a man a good one ? These are the points 
on which our school examinations should pass, and none 
but the lowest grade of certificates, and never a second 
certificate should be given to a teacher till these things 
have been passed on by the examiners. But how is this to 
be done if they never visit the schools ? You tell, I can 
not. I suppose it is fair to call on a man who finds fault 
with the existing state of affairs to indicate how he thinks 
they might be bettered, so I will give my notion to be 
criticised and found fault with by those who think differ¬ 
ently. First, I would abolish all these petty school dis¬ 
tricts and unite all the districts in a township into one. 
At the same time I would abolish the township school in¬ 
spectors and the county school examiners. In each district 
(or township which would be the same thing), I would 
have one superintendent similar to the superintendents of 
city schools, who should have supervision of all the schools 
in the district and spend his whole time with them when 
in session. I would have the teachers examined by 
this superintendent acting in conjunction with the 
superintendents of two or more adjacent districts. In 
this way we would have in every town just as many 
schools and as many teachers as are needed to supply the 
population and no more. We would not have two or three 
school houses and two or three poor teachers to instruct 30 
or 40 scholars in places where one school house and one 
good teacher would do the work a great deal better. 
Instead of low grade schools for half a year, we would have 
good schools the whole year, that every child might attend. 
We would have every school and every teacher under 
thorough supervision. What would be saved in the ex¬ 
pense of school inspectors, county examiners, unnecessary 
buildings and teachers, would pay a good salary to the 
district superintendent. If I could not get this radical 
change made, my next move would be to retain our present 
board of school examiners, but I would have a stirring up 
among them. I would parcel out the territory among 
them, assigning each one so much to supervise and then I 
would set them at work. Every day in the year when 
there was a school in session in their districts these men 
should be at work with these schools. It should be their 
business and they should not have any other business and 
they should attend to it. And I would pay them hand¬ 
somely for it, so that they could afford to do it and do it 
well. I had thought of saying something about people 
giving the schools their personal attention, but have con¬ 
cluded not to. The few who have interest enough in their 
children’s welfare to look into the schools and see for 
themselves what is going on there, will continue to do so 
if nothing is said about it. Those who have not that in¬ 
terest will not do it, and can’t be induced to do it, so I 
content myself with pointing out what I think is the best 
way of getting somebody to do the business for them, 
which I have already done. F. HODGMAN. 
Kalamazoo, Mich. 
A LISTENER’S NOTES. 
“Killing Grass.” —The following characteristic note 
from Americus, Ga., refers to a matter that is not easily 
understood by Northern farmers: “ I know that at least 
$25,000 that we expected to be called on for ‘ to kill grass 
was not needed. Speaking of * killing grass,’ a short time 
since a friend came to see me, when I was killing grass for 
the fourth time this season, and I said: ‘If our Northern 
friends had this crop, i. e Crab-grass, to contend with, 
what do you think they would do ?’ He replied : ‘ They 
would not grow anything els9.’ And I believe he was 
correct. Still we import from the West baled hay while 
‘ killing ’ better grass.” That tbe Georgia farmer should 
kill grass and buy hay is as strange as the habit of the 
the New Jersey farmer of leaching his manure and buying 
fertilizers. 
Care of Cuts and Wounds. — I frequently meet people 
who are suffering from the effects of slight wounds re¬ 
ceived in ordinary farm work. The wound itself is not 
particularly serious—it Is the treatment in most cases that 
causes the trouble. The following note from Dr. Henry 
Stewart will be read with interest by those who are in 
danger of getting their fingers or toes in the way of sharp 
edges: “ No person need be afraid of a cut unless some 
artery is severed. A cut will heal at once if it is closed 
and the air is kept from it; but the closing should be done 
Instantly before any poisonous germ from the air can gain 
access to it. Salves, etc., are only useful in protecting 
a wound from the air, and stimulating applications only 
as destroying injurious germs which inflame the raw sur¬ 
faces. If a cut is instantly drawn close and covered with a 
strip of sticking plaster and bandaged to keep it so, it will 
heal, as the doctors say, by the first intention. The other 
day, in putting hay into the barn, a careless man ran a 
prong of his hay-fork completely through my hand. As 
the prong was withdrawn and the blood spurted out I 
pressed finger and thumb on the wound until I got to the 
house, when I applied some carbolated vaseline and bound 
up the hand, to exclude air, and kept the hand in a sling 
to avoid motion. In 24 hours there was no pain, and in a 
week only two dark spots where the steel went through. 
To keep the cut parts still so as not to disunite them for 
two days will generally cause a cut to close and heal. A 
bruised cut should be treated differently, as the injured 
tissue will slough away, and the discharge must be per- 
