a piece of chalk, illustrated and made the subject under consideration plain, the teacher should then draw back the information from the boys, in a familiar conversation, by which what they have heard will be indelibly fixed on their memory.

It is a very great truth that "a little learning is a dangerous thing," and our error has been always to give too little. What can be better calculated to bring the mind into a proper state, than giving children some idea of the vast wisdom of the Almighty, as displayed in the management of the heavenly bodies? And what is so likely to induce them to adore and venerate his holy name, as their being trained to look for his power through the mighty wonders of his own creation? I will not condescend to argue the point, that the outline of these things should not be taught to the working classes; those who would withhold the small amount of education that I contend for, from any human being, cannot be Christian in heart, however proud they may be of the name. My idea of a Christian, is a follower of Jesus Christ; and the Scriptures inform us that he dispensed his bounties to all; that some would not receive him was no fault of his; he has left nothing on record to prove that we should not instruct, to a certain degree, the whole human race; and what has been called education, has only been the mere SHELL; 'tis time now we should have the kernel. The state of mankind and the state of the country require it, and those who stand up against it only prove their own selfishness, and how incompetent they are to legislate upon the subject. The more we know, the more we see there is to know; and to talk about over-education, when the wisest of us knows so little, appears to me truly ridiculous, and can only be accounted for by a want of an universal and general attention to the subject. Thank God! the public attention has been drawn to it; some good will arise out of it, I have no doubt; and I have thought it my duty to give my own unbiassed views, and throw my mite into the treasury, that it may assist in producing an universal system of national education worthy of our name and our country.

BOTANY.

We have mentioned before, that the following lessons were not to be read until the boys were thoroughly acquainted with the lessons on the same subject, given in the girls' department. We again mention this, fearing the teacher should fall into error.

CLASSIFICATION AND NAMES OF PLANTS.

By the classification of plants, we mean forming them into classes, which are the largest divisions; dividing these into orders, subdividing these orders into genera, the genera into species, and the species into varieties, when that is necessary. All the plants that are formed into one class must have at least one property, or character, in common; that is, they must be like each other in one thing at least, and in that particular point they must also differ from plants of any other class. To belong to the same order, they must have two properties in common ; and to belong to the same genus they must have at least three. to belong to the same species they must have all of what may be considered their constant qualities alike. Those in which differences appear to be merely accidental, form varieties of a species. By accidental differences, we mean those which are not natural to the plant, but which appear to be produced by difference of situation, climate, soil, or culture, and which would be changed by changing these. The greatest number

But

of varieties are found amongst those plants most extensively cultivated by man; but the difference of species is a natural difference; and one species cannot be changed to another by any human art. There may

be changes of varieties, and art often produces many new ones; but there can be no change of species; no art of man can produce a new species of plant. We, therefore, see that the knowledge of species is the most important part of botanical knowledge, and the higher classification is a matter of mere arrangement, but is not useless; for instance, the books in a library may be considered as species, as it is from them only that the student can get information; but he can get the book he wants much sooner if the whole are classed, all the history in the same case, and all the works of the same historian on the same shelf. The different editions of the same book are varieties, but, as they are artificial things altogether, the term species does not properly apply to them. The species of plants are very numerous, at least twenty thousand, or perhaps thirty thousand; and in those which are not very well known, species and varieties are apt to be confounded with each other. The species which are nature's classification, are always the same; and the varieties are real also, although liable to change. Genera should be, also, always natural divisions; but this is not possible in all cases. The systems of arrangement that apply to the other parts of classification are either natural or artificial; a natural system is one in

which plants are arranged according to their general appearance and qualities, so that from any one plant of this class, some idea at least may be formed of all the plants in it; an artificial system is one in which the characters of plants are taken from some single quality or part, the knowledge of which is not always a key to the general habits, appearances, and qualities of the plant. The best names given to classes and orders, are the names of the characters on which they are founded; these are not the names of single plants but common names, The names of the genera are a sort of proper names,-family names as it were; and neither they nor the names of species, or individuals, are descriptive, but must be followed by a descriptive character. The proper names are the generic name from the genus, the specific name from the species, and the trivial name from the variety; and the characters are the same; a generic character, a specific character, and a trivial character. The best names of the plants are those which either express or suggest their characters; the worst are those which have no meaning, as is too often the case. What system of plants is the best? The artificial system formed by Linnæus is the best for beginners, because it is the most simple.

Questions and Answers.

Q. What is meant by the classification of plants? A. Forming them into classes, which are the largest divisions. Q. What more? A. Dividing those into orders, sub-dividing those orders into genera, the genera into species, and species into varieties, when that is necessary. Q. What must a class contain? A. All the plants that are formed into one class must have at least one property or character in common, which does not belong to plants of any other class. Q. What plants may belong to the same order? A. They must have two common properties. Q. Which to the same genus ? A. They must have at least three common properties. Q. Which to the same species? A. Those which have all of what may be considered as their constant qualities alike. Q. What form varieties of a species? A. Those in which the differences appear to be merely accidental. Q. What do you mean by accidental differences? A. Those which are not natural to the plant, but which are produced by difference of situation, climate, soil, or culture, and which would be changed by changing those. Q. Among which plants are there the greatest number of varieties? A. Amongst those which are most extensively cultivated by man. Q. Can one species be changed to another

B B

the same,

by human art? A. No, there may be changes of varieties, but not of species. Q. Is the knowledge of species important? A. It is the most important part of botanical knowledge. Q. Is classification important? A. It is. Q. What does it enable us to do? A. To find out a particular A· plant easily. Q. Is the knowledge of species easily obtained? Not easily, the species are very many. Q. How many species are there thought to be? A. Twenty, or, perhaps, thirty thousand. Q. In plants not well known, what are we apt to confound with each other? A. Species and varieties. Q. Are there more kinds of classification than one? A. The species that are nature's classification, are always and the varieties are real also, although liable to change. Q. Are not the genera natural divisions? A. They ought always to be so, but this is not possible in all cases. Q. Then what are the systems of arrangement that apply to the other parts of the classification ? They are either natural or artificial. Q. What is a natural system? A. One in which plants are arranged according to their general appearance and qualities. Q. How may we have by a natural system some idea of all the plants in a class? A. By one plant belonging to such class. Q. What is an artificial system? A. One in which the characters of plants are taken from some single part or quality. Q. Is the knowledge of this always a key to the general habits, appearance, and qualities of the plant? A. No. Q. What names are given to classes and orders? A. The best ones are the names of the characters on which they are founded. Are these the names of single plants? Q. What are the names of genera ?

J

A.

Q.

Q. A. No, they are common names. A. They are a sort of proper names- -family names, as it were. Are they descriptive? A. No. Q. Are those of species or individuals descriptive? A. No-but they must all be followed by a descriptive character. Q. What are the proper names? A. The generic name for the genus, the specific name for the species, and the trivial name for the variety. Q. And what are the characters? A. They are the same, a generic character, a specific character, and a trivial character. Q. When are the names of plants best? A. When they either express or suggest the characters. Q. When are they worst? A. When they have no meaning. Q. Why is the artificial system formed by Linnæus best for beginners in botany? A. Because it is the most simple.

LESSONS ON BOTANY.-THE LINNEAN SYSTEM.

The artificial system of Linnæus is founded on flowers solely; to those who search for new plants, this is a disadvantage, as plants are not always in flower, and they may not be able to wait until they are. But still it is the most simple; it does not convey information, for no artificial system can; but it is a very convenient arrangement of the information otherwise obtained. The system is founded on the essential

parts of flowers, that is, the stamens and pistils. The stamen consists of the filament or thread, and the anther, which is a little knob on the top of the filament that bursts, and discharges a fine powder called the pollen; this powder, falling on the stigma, fertilizes the embryo or rudiment of the seed. In the Linnæan system there are twenty-four classes; their names are derived from the Greek language, the first twelve are made up of the names of numbers, and the word andria which means fertilizers, or the stamens; and the other twelve are named from the arrangement of the stamens. The classes are thus