schools, the power to suspend or expel pupils for misconduct or other cause defined in their by-laws.

While two thousand dollars are still raised annually in the general fund of the State to aid the Teachers' Institutes, the specific purpose for which this sum has been applied, viz.: the support of Normal Institutes, has been abandoned. The money thus raised is now united with the five thousand dollars appropri ated yearly by the Normal Regents for institute work, and the whole can be expended for general institute instruction. So the former distinction between the Normal and the common institutes no longer remains in the law.

The old provisions for a portion of the institutes to be held each two weeks or four weeks in length, have disappeared. The precise time in which any instit tute can now be held, is fixed by the State Superintendent, with the advice and consent of the Normal Regents. The Normal Institutes were each formerly conducted under the direction of a County Superintendent, assisted by such agent or agents as the State Superintendent appointed. Now, the State Superin. tendent, with the co-operation of the Normal Regents, employs all the agents to give instruction in all the institutes, and these agents have the direction of the institutes, under such rules and regulations for organizing and conducting them, as may be prescribed by the State Superintendent and the Normal School Board; and the county superintendents may assist these agents in the management and instruction of the institutes. The law in respect to the course of study pursued in these institutes, is now definite; and it requires this course to be uniform as far as practicable, and to be prescribed by the State Superintendent, with the assistance of such agents, but subject to revision by the board of Normal Regents.

THE subject of Educational Exhibits at County Fairs, was fully presented at the recent session of State Teachers' Association. Supt. Isham read a paper on the exhibit at the Walworth County Fair last fall, and Prof. Emery described the one at the Jefferson County Fair at the same time. Both of these fairs attracted great attention, and were highly satisfactory to the children represented and the people examining their work. Defects in the enterprise, comparatively new and untried in the State, were pointed out. Both counties have entered with greater zeal upon the labor to secure a full exhibit next fall. Their example could be followed with profit to our public schools by the other counties in the State.

THE State Teachers' Association appointed, at its Executive Ssssion, a committee to prepare the educational exhibit for the the annual meeting next July. Prof. Burton, of Janesville, made a valuable report on the subject, defining the character of the exhibit, and explaining the regulations for preparing it. Prof. Westcott, of Racine, who is responsible in a great measure for originating the movement, discussed earnestly and at length, the advantages of the exhibit. It cannot fail this year to be much superior to the one presented at Geneva Lake last summer. Let teachers, in different parts of the State, begin at once to make preparations for articles to be sent from their schools to the next annual meeting of the Association.

EDITORIAL.

THE Holiday Session of the State Teachers' Association, is never as fully attended as the Annual Session in the summer. The former originated some years since, with the meeting of the Executive Committee of that body for the transaction of business. The desire to give more careful consideration to many questions connected with our educational policy, than could usually be granted at the summer meeting, furnished another reason for the origin of the winter session. While this arrangement subtracts, without doubt, from the interest generally taken in the Annual Meeting, we do not question the propriety or wisdom of it. Often the subjects which the educators wish to bring before the members of the Legislature, which convenes shortly afterwards, are discussed and referred to appropriate committees for action. The need for recreation is not so imperative as during the hot days of summer, and the teachers engage in the public exercises and in the private consultations with more vigor.

More than the usual number of our educational workers were present at the last Holiday Session of the Association. The spirit and purpose of it were excellent. It has always been a marked feature in the gatherings of the teachers of the State, that no sectional jealousy and no partizan strife should find a promnent place in their proceedings. It was the same on this occasion. The lo heres and the lo theres, and some for this one and some for that one, have never appeared except in the most friendly attitude with each other. This fact has given the Association great strength. Its decisions are generally quite unanimous, and command the fullest respect of its members and of the public. Perhaps, some of the papers presented and the discussions following them, were not as striking as we have heard at other times. But the suggestions made were of an unusually practical character. Scarcely ever have the teachers carried away more points for reflection and for guidance in their work.

The president of the Association is to be congratulated that his programme, with a single exception, was strictly carried out. The time was all filled by the exercises presented, and nothing was hurried or slip-shod. The number who attended the evening lectures outside of the members of the Association, was quite small. This suggests the inquiry whether the winter meetings could not be made more profitable to the people of the State, if they should be held, like the summer ones, in different localities, where their exercises would be regarded as new and attractive. The daily papers of Madison published quite full reports of the exercises, and the hotels and the railroads made their usual reductions. These favors could be secured, without doubt, if the teachers should meet in the other large cities or in the prominent villages of the State.

There are certain leading questions which, in the present developement of our educational policy, need to come to the front on all such occasions. We do not complain that all these did not receive their due share of attention. Their importance may not rest with equal weight on all minds. Still it is well to keep them before those who create our public sentiment; and we, therefore, suggest a few

of them. Since the State has assumed the instruction of the children at four years of age in our public schools, is it not under obligations to establish speedily better methods for instructing and training these children? In the work of improving our rural and ungraded schools, what action should the State now take? Should a course of study for these schools be presented in mere outline, or in full details, and then left to the voluntary action of the teachers and school officers; or should it be enforced by legislative enactment? All the past educational movements of the State have discouraged the formation and continu. ance of private Academies; now, in what basis, as substantial and permanent, can the High School system be placed, so as to furnish the necessary secondary instruction? How can the evil, overshadowing almost all others, of the frequent changes of teachers in our elementary and graded schools, and of supervising officers in all departments of the State, be gradually but effectually abated? What general regulations can be enforced to prevent so large a number of inexperienced and incompetent teachers from being employed in our schools?

THE Convention of the Superintendents in the Holidays, was attended by thirty-two of their number twenty-five from the counties and seven from the cities. Two afternoons were filled with the reading of unusually well written papers, and with animated discussions. In the latter, there were more pointed and careful statements than are generally heard. Three of the four lady county superintendents in the State were in attendance, and took prominint part in the exercises. We have never seen more earnestness and kindly spirit manifested by any other educational workers among us, than were seen in the members of this convention. The minutes published in this number, furnish an idea what subjects attracted the most attention, and what views on them were expressed.

IN THE April number of the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, we noticed the Historical Atlas of Wisconsin, which had then just been issued. We alluded in words of high praise to the work. We have since used it largely in our office, and find it exceedingly valuable as a book of reference. It should be placed in all prominent schools? We understand that only about one hundred copies are left unsold in the hands of the publishers. As an enterprise, it involved the loss of nearly $20,000, so great was the cost of the labor and materials required to make it as complete and accurate as we find it. The senior member of the firm which pub. lished the book, Mr. Snyder, of Milwaukee, labored so ardently in preparing it, that he literally lost his life in the work. Mr. Van Vechten, of the same city, another member of the firm, is now closing up the business and disposing of the remaining copies.

ONE of the members of the Association well said that Miss Swarts' admirable paper on geography " was a revelation." The "possibilities" of the study, as set forth by her, are simply unbounded. It is true that not all schools can have teachers like the writer of this paper; but all schools ought to have teachers who can do a great deal more with this branch than hear meager lessons, well or ill

memorized as the child's capacity may happen to be, from a dry book. Geography, as a "description of the earth," is a platform upon which all natural science may be brought; a frame work upon which all the knowledge of teachers and pupils may be brought to view. It only needs the trained, intelligent, thoughtful, quick-witted teacher, to arouse all the enthusiasm of eager-minded youth by it; it only needs, in addition, proper method and proportion, such as should be set forth in the Normal Schools, and could be embodied in a suitable manual, to put all children in the way, not only of learning much of the world we live in, of its natural features, its products, its peoples, its life and activity, but of looking with observant eyes and thinking minds, in all after life, upon the world in its various phases, and in many instances becoming, in some chosen direction, as taste and aptitude might prompt, students and investigators. The average smart American, of the "Yankee " persuasion especially, is anxious to invent some labor saving machine; but there is a broader and nobler field for mind to traverse, and it is about time that American mind was turned in that direction. Miss Swart's paper is a credit, not only to herself, but to the Oshkosh Normal School and to the teaching force of the State.

AND Prof. Kerr's paper is in just the right direction to counteract the tendencies that are in the way of living, intelligent, fruitful teaching. "Ruts" are made by the constant, monotonous movement of hoof and wheel in the same paths, and in the same line. Once made, it is difficult to keep out of them. Ruts in education should not be allowed. There should be intelligent purpose, but not mecanical monotony, procustean uniformity, servile imitation. One of the chief dangers to which educational work is exposed, in its present transitional stage, is that of being stifled by mechanism. The mind of a child can easily be dwarfed, deadened and made repugnant to books and all they mean, by this kind of teaching, and teachers can be converted into machines by insisting that they shall use only such and such books, speak by fixed formulas, follow slavishly, whatever the peculiarities of the school, a prescribed course of study and method of teaching. A certain degree of sameness is a necessary evil, in all our school work; that is, in all educational work which comprehends several minds in its purposes and processes; but as each child is a living organism, a complex of powers and capacities just like no other one, that idea of education is soundest, that process of education is best, which most fully recognizes, respects, and develops that individuality. God made the child and each child as it pleased Him. Let not man wantonly mar his work.

Mr. Desmond's article on "Ancient Irish Literature," is not only meritorious in itself, but a good sign for the University. It is pleasing to see college stu dents going beyond the daily round of study and recitation in the prescribed course, and cultivating literature and science on their own account. Prof. Anderson has partly promised us something on the Ogham Inscriptions, which he thinks have, in some cases, been deciphered. If so, if the key has been found, then like the famous "cipher dispatches," they must still further yield up their meaning.

We should note, by the way, that the "University Press," which is now on its tenth year, is a constant and creditable evidence of the literary activity of University students. We are indebted to it for a series of extracts from Mr. Butterfield's very interesting and readable "Sketches of the University.”

The extract from Prof. Johonot's book is one that may be read with profit by parents and school officers, as well as by teachers. We shall follow it with another extract or two. Each school district would be benefited by owning this book, i. e. if it was widely read and carefully pondered.

We have seldom seen the nail hit more squarely on the head than by the writer in the Canada School Journal on "Mistakes in Teaching." He evidently has observed the tendencies to these mistakes to good purpose.

THE UNIVERSITY AGAIN IN MOURNING!

Scarcely had the grave closed over the lamented Dr. CARPENTER, when it was announced that Death had suddenly claimed another victim — that Prof. NICODEMUS had followed his friend and brother to the unseen land. Thus in less than one short year, have three of the most beloved and useful of the teaching force of our State University been taken away -FEULING CARPENTER NICODEMUS!

WM. J. L. NICODEMUS was born in Virginia (near Hagerstown), August, 1, 1834. At the age of twenty, he entered as a cadet in the Military Academy, at West Point, and graduated four years later, in 1854. He was in the Utah Expedition, saw service in the New Mexican forts and in the Navajo Expedition, and on the breaking out of the Rebellion, he was promoted to a First Lieutenancy, and remained in service in New Mexico; was in the battle of Valverde, and was brevetted Major for gallant conduct, and subsequently made Colonel of the 4th Maryland Volunteers. He was afterwards in charge of the Signal Corps of the Army of the Potomac till the close of the Rebellion; he was detailed from the army in 1869, with the rank of Captain, for service in the Western University, at Pittsburg, and elected to the chair of Military Science and Civil and Mechanical Engineering in our University, in 1870.

His death was caused, immediately, we learn, from an overdose of laudanum, taken for insomnia, a trouble to which he had been subjected for some months, and resulting, we suppose, from an overworked brain. In this connecion, the recommendation of the President of the University, in his recent Annual Report, of an increase in the instructional force, is most timely. The professors have, we suspect, all been overworked, and dearly has the penalty been paid.

We have not space, this month, to speak at length of Prof. NICODEMUS' ability and usefulness as a teacher; but he will long be remembered by the students who have enjoyed the benefit of his instructions; and by all who knew him, as a most valuable citizen- a most genial man. His funeral was attended on the 8th inst., from his residence and from St. Raphael's (R. C.) Church, in this city, by a large sympathizing concourse of students and citizens.