But with all this, there is much yet to be done. Nay, we can only look upon the school system of Michigan as yet in its infancy. Every means of improvement needs to be applied with increasing assiduity. Every one who desires to see a system of public instruction, eminent for a sound moral and literary influence, offering the advantages of good scholarship and virtuous cultivation to every child in the State, should lend now their heartiest active co-operation. We can only hint here at some of the measures to which the State Teacher's Association is looking for the advancement of the cause of public education.

1. Legislation.

The Legislature just elected in this State, will hold in their hands more than ordinary power to advance the cause of education, and it is with no common interest that the friends of the cause are waiting for the issue of the approaching session. It is hoped that taking enlarged and liberal views of the wants of the State in this direction, they will devise measures to promote still more widely the elevation and thorough training of those who have charge of our primary schools. "To elevate the SCHOOL," say some of the best practical educationists of the age, "we must elevate the TEACHER." A liberal appropriation is needed to sustain a thorough system of Teacher's institutes throughout the State. And in this connection we may remark that our State Normal School requires a more liberal endowment.

Another object cherished by the Teachers' Association, and for which they will apply for legislative aid, is to place their organ, the Journal of Education, in the various school districts throughout the State. It seems obvious that there should be some means of promulging and preserving, in the different districts the various enactments of the legislature in reference to schools, as well as the decisions of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. And if any general measures for the elevation of the schools are to be prosecuted either by the State or by the teachers themselves, a medium of communication, such as the Journal, seems indispensable. It is hoped that our own State will follow the liberal policy pursued by New York, and other States in this respect.

2. Teachers' Associations.

To bring the teachers of the State into communion, and to promote their organization for mental improvement, are primary objects with every wise friend of the cause of education.

In no profession is the necessity for association greater than among those whose labors are performed in scattered school-rooms, apart from the public eye, and in the midst of children; and to no class of persons will mutual intercourse be of more practical benefit than here. It is therefore of the greatest importance that the teachers of the State should be induced to organize and maintain teachers' associations. It is now proposed that the President of the State Teachers' Association, aided by prominent teachers shall attend meetings in many of the more populous counties during the winter, and assist in the organization of County Associations. It is desired that teachers and friends of the cause in the different counties should take immediate steps towards calling such meet

ings. The districts of any county can well afford to spare their teacher two days to meet in convention with prominent teachers from abroad, and to listen to stirring lectures on the duties of their calling. Cannot meetings be called, early in December, in Pontiac, Flint, La Peer, Howell, Corunna, Ionia, and Grand Rapids? We shall be glad to hear from friends in those places.

3. The Journal of Education.

The Teachers of the State rightly regard an educational periodical as an essential agency in all educational reform. As a medium of information it is indispensable, while as a magazine of educational facts and thoughts it may be made an agent of no mean utility in promoting a zealous and intelligent public sentiment among both teachers and parents. Such are some of the means to which the Friends of Education are looking for a promotion of the cause in our rapidly growing State. Let all combine for the accomplishment of these objects, and we shall at the close of another year be prepared to undertake yet other and grander steps towards the attainment of that point, where we may afford to every child within our borders a high, intellectual, and physical, and moral cultivation, and shed the light of a sound, scholarly, and social refinement over all the homes and avocations of our people.

was

THOSE RESOLUTIONS.

At the last meeting of the State Teachers' Association, at Marshall, it

"Resolved, That we earnestly and unanimously request Rev. J. M. Gregory to continue to act as editor of the Journal for the ensuing year, and pledge to him our hearty aid and cooperation."

"Resolved, That we, individually, devote the last week of the present year to obtaining subscribers for the Journal."

In obedience to these Resolutions we have bent ourself, reluctantly but earnestly, to our task for another year. Will our fellow teachers throughout the State do theirs? What shall be the result of that week! If the Resolution is carried out by our readers generally, a thousand • names at least will be added to our list. To aid our friends in the work, we send out, with this number of the Journal, a prospectus for 1855. Fellow teachers, give us a hearty pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether!

At a meeting of the Teachers in attendance during the recent Teachers' Session at the State Normal-School, the following resolutions were adopted and ordered to be sent, for publication, to the Journal of Education.

Resolved, That we, as teachers, feel it our duty to promote, as far as lies in our power, the educational interests of the State.

Resolved, That we heartily approve of the system of discipline and instruction adopted at the State Normal School; and that, as teachers, wo do adopt the analysis of the English sentence, as taught by Prof. Welch, and will promote its use in the primary schools of this State.

Resolved, That we unite with the State Teachers' Association in sustaining the Journal of Education, and will with them spend the last week in this year in getting subscriptions for said Journal.

TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS.

We send you this month a prospectus for 1855. Will you not, without further solicitation and before it is laid aside, subscribe your own name, and the name of some one neighbor or friend at least whom you may induce to subscribe, and remail it to us with the money enclosed. We ask this, not only from teachers but also from parents and others. We are prosecuting an enterprise which must redound to the good of the whole State, and every new name is a new avenue for the usefulness of our paper. We purpose next year to enlarge the size of our page, and under certain not improbable contingencies, to increase the number of pages. Our plans for another year embrace several decided improvements in the Journal.

SEND THE NAMES OF TEACHERS.

Our subscribers will confer a favor, if, when they send their own names, they will send us the names, and post-offices, of any teachers in their vicinity who do not take the Journal.

We shall make arrangements to have back numbers of the Journal bound. If a sufficient number is sent in they can be done for twentyfive cents each. Any who may wish us to get their numbers bound at that rate, will please notify us of it before January first.

We propose to publish the names of our subscribers for 1855. All who shall have paid before Christmas will be found in the January num ber. This will help to make the teachers and friends of education throughout the State acquainted with each other.

TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION IN OAKLAND CO.

A letter just come to hand, informs us that arrangements are in progress for holding a Convention of the teachers and friends of education of Oakland County, in Pontiac, on the 13th and 14th of December next. It is expected that Professor Welch of the State Normal School, and Professor J. M. Gregory, of Detroit, will be in attendance during the Session. Let the Teachers of Oakland come! Addresses may be expected, and other exercises of a practical character.

OUR PREMIUMS.

Look at the list upon the last page of the cover. We hope to distribute many copies of Webster's and Worcester's large Dictionaries in this

way.

Literary Notices.

Webster's Quarto Academic Dictionary, Webster's High School Pronouncing Dictionary, Webster's Primary School Dictionary.

Here are Dictionaries for all grades of schools. They of course follow the giant Quarto in orthography and pronunciation, and combine as

SOME Curious questions in the obscurer branches of Science have been recently debated at the London Royal Institution. Dr. Tyndall has been examining the subject of tones emitted by masses of heated metal while cooling. He proved by repeated experiments the incorrectness of the explanation hitherto received, but was still unable to assign the phenomena to the true cause. Another was on some most extraordinary effects of motion, which the Rev. Badin Powell, though he interested his auditors in the experiments, could not satisfactorily explain. One of the effects is this: Let a beam, free to turn in all directions, be balanced horizontally on the top of a standard; then put a small wheel to one end, cause it to rotate rapidly, and the beam will still retain its horizontal position, notwithstanding the weight of the wheel. It is as though motion nullified gravity; but as some of the most ingenious English philosophers are examining into the phenomena, it is hoped an explanation may ere long be found. Another interesting subject is that brought forward by Prof. Edward Forbes, who has started an inquiry as to the depth of primeval oceans, and who believes it possible to throw light upon it by a study of the color of fossil shells. The shallower the water the more intense the color, is the experience gained by dredging in the seas of the present period; and reasoning from analogy, we may infer the same law prevailed in earlier periods. Ehrenberg, too, contributes something more to our knowledge of ocean life; he has examined specimens of the mud brought up from the depth of six thousand fathoms, and finds them to contain living infusoria.-N. Y. Tribune.

MAKING WOOD INCOMBUSTIBLE. The process of rendering wood incombustible, may be effectually performed by soaking it in a strong solution of alum and the sulphate of copper; about one pound of alum and one of the sulphate of copper being sufficient for one hundred gallons of water. These substances are dissolved in a quantity of hot water, then mixed with the water in the vessel in which the wood is to be steeped. The timber to be rendered fire-proof can be kept under the liquor by stones, or any other mode of sinking it. All that is required is a watertight vessel of sufficient dimensions to hold enough of liquor to cover the timber, which should be allowed to steep for four or five days. After this it is taken out and suffered to dry thoroughly before being used.

PROBLEMS.

Given the length of three lines, 8, 9, and 10, drawn from three corners of a square to a certain point within the square to determine the square. Suppose that 4 years at college cost $1000; if, of two young men aged 18 years, one takes a college course, and afterwards earns a $1000 a year, while the other earns $300 a year from the outset, which will be the richer at 40 years of age, supposing each to save the same proportion of their income.

A. B. and C. buy a grindstone, forty inches in diameter, with a spindle hole six inches square: A. pays $1, B $1 50, C. $2 50; how many inches of the diameter must be ground off by each, in order to get his portion of the value of the stone, A grinding first, next B, then C?

A CLASSICAL EDUCATION.-A Father, while his cheek glowed with paternal pride, remarked that his little son was getting a classical education in one of our Primary Schools. When told that children in that department are not taught the classics, he asked, "aint they all taught in classes? and aint that a classical education?-Toledo Teacher.

PLURALITY OF WORLDS.-One morning I noticed in my School-room a little boy whom I had not seen there before. To the inquiry "have you ever been at school, before to-day?" he replied, "no Ma'am, not in this world, but I have in St. Louis."-Ibid.

A COLLEGE INCIDENT.-In the college days of Royal Tyler, once Governor of Vermont, he was called upon to recite from "Locke on the Understanding," and having failed to commit his recitation, was giving offhe knew not what-extempore, when the Professor interrupted him: "But you don't find that in the book?"

"I know it," said Tyler. "I did not agree with Mr. Locke, and thought I would give my own sentiments on the subject."

MISCELLANEOUS.

A fool, says the Arab proverb, may be known by six things: anger without cause, speech without profit, change without motive, inquiry without object, putting trust in a stranger, and not knowing his friends from his foes.

Cherish a love for justice, truth, self-control, benevolence. Swerve not from the right for any present advantage. In all circumstances show thyself a man in unflinching rectitude.

CRITIC-A large dog that goes unchained and barks at everything he does not comprehend.

BELLE-A beautiful but useless insect without wings, whose colors fade on being removed from the sunshine.

Five of the sweetest words in the English language begin with HHeart, Hope, Home, Happiness and Heaven.

A man of sense will never swear. The least pardonable of all vices, to which the folly or the cupidity of man is addicted, is profanity.

He is a wise man who learns from every one; he is powerful who governs his passions; and he is rich who is contented.

We should choose to bear the hatred of evil men rather than deserve their just accusation after serving their base ends.

After the sting of folly has made men wise, they find it hard to conceive that others can be as foolish as they have been.

Pleasure and pain, though directly opposite, are yet so contrived by nature as to be constant companions; and it is a fact, that the same motions and muscles of the face are employed both in laughing and crying.

A vacant mind invites dangerous inmates, as a deserted mansion tempts wandering outcasts to take up their abode in its desolate apart

ments.