methods by which they can introduce it into their schools. The county super. intendents will give this subject more careful consideration the coming year. Some of them have already studied it in its details, and are ready to labor for its introduction at the opening of their schools this fall. It will increase, without doubt, their responsibility and their work. But the greater progress which iheir schools will make in time, under such a scheme, must induce them to perform this work cheerfully, and to sustain it constantly by their influence.

NO MORE spirited and profitable Annual Meeting of the State Teachers' Association has ever been held, than the one which convened at La Crosse the second week in July. Larger attendance of teachers and school officers we have seen on a few other annual meetings of this body. But in our opinion i: surpassed all others in enthusiasm, generous feeling, practical work, and helpful. ness to the teachers. All things conspired to make the meeting satisfactory. All departments of our educational operations were represented by the members. La Crosse gave the association a most royal reception. The rooms of the High School building were devoted to its use. We have seen no finer audience room in any other High School building in the state. The rooms for the Gram. mar Department in this building proved to be all that could be desired for the Exhibitory Department. The Board of Education, with the City Superintendent, and the people generally throughout the city, exerted themselves to furnish every accommodation which the teachers needed. The daily press gave full and satisfactory reports of the exercises. The exbibition of the school work attracted great attention. It was the result of much labor, and as a feature of the association will long be remembered. The papers read before the association were, as a rule, exceedingly well prepared, and were presented with com. mendable force and gracefulness. The only regret we heard expressed, was that more time could not be occupied in the discussion of some of the topics introduced by the papers and the reports. The utmost harmony prevailed in all the proceedings, and this was fully shown in the almost unanimous election, on the first ballot, of the next president of the association.

THE Exbibitory Department of the Association was so creditable that we desire to publish a detailed account of it. We shall have to wait for the report of the committee on this Department to furnish such information as we need for the article. This report will be presented at the holiday session of the Associa. tion. In the meantime, we shall publish in the next number of the JOURNAL an article on this subject which appeared in the Chronicle, at La Crosse, during the late session of that body.

THE EXCURSION of the members of the State Teachers' Association and a portion of the citizens of La Crosse, on Thursday, during the meeting of that body, is an occasion which will not soon be forgotten. The expense of it was borne by the open-banded people of that city, and the entire management was in the hands of Charles Seymour, Esq. Those who participated in it express, without an exception, the opinion that the arrangements were complete in every particular. The day was oppressively hot and the ride on the Mississippi river was really enjoyable. On the steamboat the freest opportunity was given for visiting. Excellent music was furnished at intervals by a band from La Crosse and by a company of Scandinavian gentlemen with well-trained voices. Nowhere on the river is the scenery said to be more magniticent than between La Crosse and Winona. At the latter city the excursionists were received by the citizens with the most cordial hospitality. A bountiful dinner was furnished at the Normal School building in that city, and toasts and speeches were presented, expressive of the best sentiments and the most earnest interest in the cause of popular education. The effect was a manifestation of the hearty fellowship which exists between the educators of the two states. The hospitable and enterprising people of Winona have laid the teachers of our state under many obligations to them, which they may, some time, have an opportunity to discharge.

THOUGH THE STATE UNIVERSITY was materially crippled last year by the death of two of its prominent professors, yet the examinations at the close of the Spring Term and the exercises on Commencement Day showed that exceedingly earrest and thorough work had been done by both the faculty and the students during the whole year. The friends of the University felt the liveliest satisfaction in all the exercises which they witnessed. A most efficient committee of visitors were present for a week before the commencement, and submitted an able report of their labors. It abounds in excellent suggestions, which the Regents and the Faculty of the University will doubtless adopt in the main. They found the necessity of increasing the amount and variety of apparatus for the physical sciences, of books for the library, and of illustrations for the study of the ancient langauges and literature.

a

THE STATE UNIVERSITY has adopted some new arrangements in reference to the courses of study. In a circular it says that it offers “ a wider range of studies than heretofore, and also opportunity for more extended study in the several branches.” This is effected by selecting a less number of studies which each student is required to pursue each term, and then supplying a larger number from which he may choose such subjects as he may desire to investigate. This gives each one an opportunity to study in special lines, if he is inclined to do so, almost from the beginning of bis University career.

THE EXAMINATION of the graduates in the two years' course in our Normal Schools this year, has raised the question in the minds of some of the examin. ers, whether this course is really profitable to the students themselves, and desirable on the part of the schools. The work done in that time is so insuffi. cient in preparing teachers for our public schools, that the conviction is slowly being reached by some that the course had better be abolished; and nothing but the fuller course be sustained in these Schoois.

THE NORMAL REGENTS adopted, at their annual session in July, a full series of regulations for the government of the teachers and students in the schools under their charge. Many of these have been suggested by the experience of the Board in the management of these schoo's in the past six years. A rule was adopted that no student in these schools should be compelled to attend any religious exercises at the opening of the daily sessions, or at any other time. He is to be allowed the fullest freedom in the exercise of his wishes, or in following the convictions of his conscience, in respect to listening to the reading of the scriptures, the singing of devotional hymns, and the offering of prayer in the schools.

THE COURSES OF STUDY in our Normal Schools were revised by the presidents of these schools last month; and their revision was adopted in the main by the Normal Regents, at their last annual meeting. A few studies before required or made optional, were dropped. Among these are Greek, trigonometry, and astronomy. The students in the fuller course can elect between eigłty weeks in Latin, and the same time in advanced studies in the English language and literature.

success.

IT WILL be interesting to the members of the State Teachers' Association, to see what impression their meeting at La Crosse made upon our visitors from Minnesota. The Winona Republican contains an article on the Association, and we clipp from it the following paragraph: The meeting of the Wisconsin Teachers' Association at La Crosse was a great

B tween three and four hundred bona fide teachers and educational men were present, and the interest and zeal which have always characterized these meetings in Wisconsin were maintained to the end. An exhibition department, in which some of the actual work from every grade was systematically arrange for comparison, was one of the features of the meeting. The conductors of the State Teacbers' Institutes held several special meetings to discuss plans and determine a schedule of work for the future. The sessions of the general association were devoted to the discussion of practical questions pertaining to the condition and needs of educational work in the state. The discussions possessed dignity and character, and the conclusions will carry with them weight and influence. For twenty years legislation pertaining to education in Wisconsin has been molded by the members of this association. Time and again they bave carried important ineasures, and in at least two instances they have defeated bills which were directly agairst the well being of the schools. It is the old story of strength in union, of success from consolidated effort.

THE STATE INSTITUTE for the Deaf and Dimb, as our readers know, is lo. cated at Delavan, but it should be more generally known that the State, by appropriation of public funds, has made ample provision for the care and education of all youth of the State, who, on account of defective hearing, cannot receive iostruction in the Common Schools. Both the Sigr and Articulation methods are employed. In addition to the usual course of study, there are facilities for learning Cabinet-making, Shoe-makins, Type-setting, and all varieties of Needle-work and House-work. No charges are made. Parents are expected, if able, to clothe their children, and pay one-half railroad fare to and from the Institution. The session_opens the first Wednesday in September, and closes the second Wednesday in June. For any further particulars, address W. H, DeMotte, Superintendent, at Delavan.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF WISCONSIN IN 1639. With a sketch of the life of

JOHN NICOLET, the discoverer, by C. W. BUTTERFIELD author of Crawfo d's Campaign Against Sandusky," "History of Wisconsin,” in Historical Atlas of the State. “ The Washington-Crawford Letters " History of the University of Wisconsin,” etc. Madison, Wis.: John B. Heim & Company.

This interesting narrative may be regarded as the opening chapter in the annals of the west. It contains a brief account not only of the discovery of the region now constituting Wisconsin, but of the most important events leading thereto. A short sketch also of the discoverer is given, which recites a few of the circumstances of his life previous to his journey into the then far western wilds, and another recounting his subsequent career and death. This little book will doubtess have a large sale. THE TEACHER'S EXAMINER. Giving a general review of the Common and High

School studies, to assist in preparing the student for the higher grades of study. By Albert H. Thompson. Second edition, revised and enlarged. Davenport, Iowa: Egbert, Fidlar & Chambers. 362 pp. 12mo.

The plan of this book is, first, a series of questions on each subject, from two to five hundred in number, immediately followed by answers. For those who would find such a book useful, this is very complete and copious, as far as it goes. The subjects embraced are Geography, Civil Government, Grammar, History, Reading, Physiology, Orthography, Physical Geography, Arithmetic, Writing, Natural Philosophy, and Astronomy, with a short sketch of American literature. See the advertisement.

NO TES.

Any one having an April or May number of the JOURNAL, and not caring to preserve it, will confer a favor by sending it to us.

Any school board wishing to get some desks and seats at a bargain, will do well to correspond with Mr. Dean, secretary of the Board of University Regents. See his advertisement on second page of cover.

NICODEMUS & CONOVER's large fine wall map of Wisconsin, is sold to school districts in the State, at the very low price of $4.00 a copy. These maps may be obtained from the State Superintendent, also a blank form for application.

In order to give room for utterances and doings at La Crosse, the monthly installments of “Entomology in Common Schools " and "Sketches of the University;" also the second part of Prof. Chittenden's paper on School Buildings, are laid over.

WE are pleased to learn that the " Sketches of the University, Historical and Biographi. cal,” which have appeared in the University Press, and to some extent in our pages, have been completed, and collected in book form, and are now ready for sale. The work must have a large circulation.

PROF. C. M. GATES remains another year at Waupaca, in charge of the High School.

PROF. ROBERT GRAHAM has been appointed as one of the visitors at the State University the ensuing year.

THE High chool of Sparta was represented last year by twelve students in attendance at the State University.

SUPT. SHAW was recently appointed the superintendent of the public schools of Madison for another year by the unanimous action of its Board of Education.

THE NORMAL REGENTS adopted, at their annual session in July, a full series of regulations for the government of the teachers and students in the schools under their charge. Many of these have been suggested by the experience of the Board in the managemert of these schools in the past six years. A rule was adopted that no student in these schools should be compelled to attend any religious exercises at the opening of the daily sessions, or at any other time. He is to be allowed the fullest freedom in the exercise of his wishes, or in following the convictions of his conscience, in respect to listening to the reading of the scriptures, the singing of devotional hymns, and the offering of prayer in the schools.

THE COURSES OF STUDY in our Normal Schools were revised by the presidents of these schools last month; and their revision was adopted in the main by the Normal Regents, at their last annual meeting. A few studies before required or made optional, were dropped. Among these are Greek, trigonometry, and astronomy. Toe students in the fuller course can elect between eigłty weeks in Latin, and the same time in advanced studies in the English language and literature.

success.

IT WILL be interesting to the members of the State Teachers' Association, to see what impression their meeting at La Crosse made upon our visitors from Minnesota. The Winona Republican contains an article on the Association, and we clipp from it the following paragraph: The meeting of the Wis Teachers' Association at La Cro was a great

B tween three and four hundred bona fide teachers and educational men were present, and the interest and zeal which have always characterized these meetings in Wisconsin were maintained to the end. An exhibition department, in which some of the actual work from every grade was systematically arrange for comparison, was one of the features of the meeting. The conductors of the State Teachers' Institutes held several special meetings to discuss plans and determine a schedule of work for the future. The sessions of the gen. eral association were devoted to the discussion of practical questions pertaining to the condition and needs of educational work in the state. The discussions possessed diynity and character, and the conclusions will carry with them weight and influence. For twenty years legislation pertaining to education in Wisconsin has been molded by the members of this association. Time and a. ain they bave carried important ineasures, and in at least two instances they have defeated bills which were directly agai" st the well being of tbe schools. It is the old story of strength in union, of success from consolidated effort.

THE STATE INSTITUTE for the Deaf and Dumb, as our readers know, is lo. cated at Delavan, but it should be more generally known that the State, by appro. priation of public funds, has made ample provision for the care and education of all youth of the State, wbo, on account of defective hearing, cannot receive instruction in the Common Schools. Both the Sigr and Articulation methods are employed. In addition to the usual course of study, there are facilities for learning Cabinet-making, Shoe-makiny, Type-setting, and all varieties of Needle-work and House-work. No charges are made. Parents are expected, if able, to clothe their children, and pay one-half railroad fare to and from the Institution. The session opens the first Wednesday in September, and closes the second Wednesday in June. For any further particulars, address W. H, DeMotte, Superintendent, at Delavan.