II. DESCRIPTIVE LESSON. FOR A MIDDLE CLASS.

HOPS.

ILLUSTRATIONS REQUIRED.-Map of England; drawing of hop-plant; specimens or drawings of leaves and hops; ruler and string.

A. DESCRIPTION.-(1.) Of hop-gardens.-(Introduce by description of walk through hop grounds in KENT or SUSSEX.) Generally a large field, inclosed by high hedges-crossed by long rows of high poles - ten or twelve feet (compare height of two men, &c.) about wide enough apart for two persons to walk abreast between. Poles are COVERED, in the autumn, with a long CLIMBING plant. Picture the appearance, looking down between the rows-gradually appearing to narrow-the opposite hedge in the distance--the dark green leaves-sometimes very thick-long STREAMING BRANCHES intertwined and hanging down from the top-on these are the yellow "hops," or FLOWERS, growing in clusters.

(2.) Of Plant.-Long, elimbing (educe therefore supported on poles-consequence if not)-winds round from east to west. (Illustrate by string round ruler). Leaves large, HEART-SHAPED, notched, dark green colour-from main stem (explain) long branches with smaller leaves, and on these the flower. Recapitulation. (3.) Of Hops. (Illustrate by specimen, or a drawing.) Cone-shaped (explain, and draw on board, cone)-composed of a number of little scales OVERLAPPING one another (ask for examples, tiles, cones, &c.)-under each a small seed, and a little yellow powder. The hop is yellow-two or three inches long (compare with finger)-bitter taste-pleasant smell-stains the hand, when crushed.

B. CULTIVATION.-Educe: plants peculiar to different climates-hops in temperate south of England, &c. Ground is carefully prepared, highly manured, &c. (Educe: modes of producing plants-sowing planting) planted (describe)—shoots put in the ground in rows three or four feet apart (educe: why in rows)-little hills raised over them-several sprouts spring up in the first and second years small, and often bearing no heps-afterwards stronger and more numerous-best are taken and trained up the poles, of which there are three or four to each hill-flowers appear and ripen in August and September. Recapitulation.

C. GATHERING AND PREPARATION.-When ripe (ie., powder appears, and have strong smell and taste), men cut off plants near the ground-pull up the pole feduce: why)-pole, with plant on it, laid across a basket, or "bin"-women and children pick the hops of carried to a building-put in a room where the floor is a coarse cloth on wooden frame-work-in a room underneath, fires are burning twelve hours thus dried, fall to pieces (educe: why dried, to preserve them)— sifted in a large sieve-packed close in bags-sold. Recapitulation.

D. USE. To give a strong bitter FLAVOUR to beer, and to assist in preserving it. (Educe, or tell them the fact.) General Recapitulation.

NOTE.-Words in italics to be written on the black board. WORDS IN CAPITALS to be spelt. P. W. III. OBJECT LESSON. FOR A CLASS OF CHILDREN ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OF AGE. SALT.

PRELIMINARIES.-(i.) Specimens and illustrations required-lump of common salt, lump of bay-salt, cube of wood, prism of wood, a crystal, some grains of sand, map of England. (i.) Experiments to be performed with two old saucepan lids (because such articles are available to the boys), and a little salt and water, illustraving (i.) crystalline structure, (ik.) granular structure of salt. The lessen to continue thirty minutes. If not found sufficient, experiments to be left to be performed by the boys at home, to report results afterwards to the teacher.

I. NATURE AND KINDS OF SALT.-From what place do the men in the streets get the salt they sell?-(from the warehouse). Who has locked into a salt shed, or been into a salt warehouse? What have you seen there? Anything like the man was selling What colour was the man's salt? What colour was the salt in the warehouse?-(white). Did you see any other substance in the shed not looking much like the salt the man was selling?—(a substance of a brown colour). Did it at all look like the salt you use for dinner?-(no, a different colour). How would you tell whether it was salt or not?-(taste it). What does it taste like ?—(like salt). What taste do ali substances have that are like salt?-(salty taste). But "salty" is not the proper word-(saline). By its saline taste, and by its being found in the salt dealer's warehouse, what might we suppose this brown substance was? (salt). Some boy will be sure to give it its name -bay salt. (Exhibit specimens of common and bay salt.) This bay salt is like the salt we use at dinner in

taste, but not in colour. What makes this difference in colour? (Show that difference in colour is often the result of circumstances in which the body or substance is placed, e. g., water at Hampton Court, clear and bright looking-water at London Bridge, dirty and dull. The one has something which the other has not-hence, a difference of colour arises.) Bay salt is obtained from sea water, and common salt from brine springs; the sea water contains many substances that the salt spring does not contain. Bay salt often called rock salt-a mistake. Rock salt obtained not from sea water, but from salt mines. Salt mines present a very beautiful appearance; why?-(sparkling, transparent, crystalline). A mine of common salt would not look so beautiful. (Examine and compare specimens of common and rock salt.) Common salt-opaque, granular.

RECAPITULATE Substances seen in the salt shed-of different colour-same taste- one is bay salt-other common salt-sparkling-saline-transparent-crystalline opaque-granular.

(Exhibit specimens of crystalline and granular structure.) How is it that we have the same substance, in one form opaque and granular, in the other transparent and crystalline? (Perform experiments, Nos. 1 and 2, showing that the one substance has passed through two different processes, hence often difference in formation and appearance ensues. If not time, give boys directions how to perform them.

Experiment, No. 1.-Take two saucepan lids, and put some salt and water in each. Put one, in very cold weather, in a very cold place in the open air, and the other on the hob of the fire-place, but not on the fire. The water will disappear in both cases. In the vessel in the open air crystals of salt will be found of a prismatic shape (show prism of wood), and in the other vessel crystals of salt of a cubic skape (show cube of wood). The result of different temperature.

Experiment, No. 2.-Take a saucepan lid, and put some salt and water in it. Place the vessel, not on the hob of the fire-place, but on the fire. Stir well, and as the water passes away an opaque granular substance will be left, i.e., common salt. II. HOW OBTAINED.-PROCESS, &c.-From mines-from sea water or brine springs, by evaporation. Describe processes-Experiment, No. 2, on a large scale. Picture out the famous salt mine of Poland. Recapitulation.

IIL WHERE FOUND IN ENGLAND.-Cheshire-Valley of the river Wever→→→ Brine springs at Droitwich in Worcestershire. Recapitulation.

IV. How USED.-Why use it at dinner?-(gives a relish, and helps digestion). Does man only use it?—(wild animals, salt licks). Why does the farmer put it on bis land ?—(manure). Why used so largely in Newfoundland?—(salt fish).

EXAMINATIONS IN DRAWING.

T. H.

Ir has been determined by the Committee of Council to separate the drawing examinations henceforth from the general examinations for certificates of merit. In future, one day in November in each year will be devoted to the drawing examination, which will be held entirely under the direction of the Department of Science and Art. Teachers who have passed in one or more of the five branches required for a memorandum of competeney in drawing, under the Minute of 24th February, 1857, and who desire to pass in others, will also be permitted to present themselves for examination either at a training college under inspection, or at any one of the local drawing schools in connexion with the department. The value of the exercises will continue to be marked as at present, and the marks will be kept on record until after the next December examinations, and will then be carried to each candidate's total for a certificate.

Teachers who are not yet certificated or registered, but who have received, or the managers of whose schools are about to apply for, permission from the Committee of Council to attend for that purpose one of the general examinations in December, will not find (after December, 1859,*) exercises in drawing given on those occasions; but in order to have the benefit of their marks in drawing, must have passed a separate examination in drawing some time in the previous part of the same year, either at a drawing school or at a training college.

The Department of Science and Art have fixed Saturday, the 26th of November, for holding the drawing examination at the Borough Road.

For the convenience of teachers who intend to present themselves at the general examination for this year, and to prevent disappointment from want of notice, it has been arranged to give them the same opportunity as heretofore of being examined in drawing.

EXAMINATIONS IN SCIENCE.

TEACHERS wishing to attend the examinations of the Science and Art Department in-1. Practical and descriptive geometry, with mechanical and machine drawing, and building construction. 2. Physics. 3. Chemistry. 4. Geology and mineralogy (applied to mining). 5. Natural history,-for the purpose of obtaining augmentation grants to their salaries (under the Science Minute of the 2nd June, 1859), must send their names, addresses, and present occupation, to the Secretary of the Department, South Kensington, on or before the 31st October, 1859. The examinations will be held in the metropolis, in the last week of November. Certificates of three grades will be granted in each subject, giving the holder an augmentation grant of £10, £15, or £20 a year on each certificate, while giving instruction to a class of operatives in that subject. These payments will be in addition to the value of any certificates of competency for giving primary instruction, should the teacher have already obtained any such from the Committee of Council on Education.

WEST INDIES.-Salt Cay, Turk's Island, Bahamas.-Mr. James T. Pressley, who has passed successfully through a two years' course of instruction at the Normal College in the Borough Road, has been appointed by the Colonial Government to the head mastership of the principal school in the colony. Mr. Pressley sailed in June, and arrived at his destination in July last.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY.

LEGACIES, DONATIONS, AND NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS, &c.
From June 1st, 1859, to August 31st, 1859.

Remittances from Auxiliary Societies and Corresponding Committees, &c., from June 1st, 1859,

to August 31st, 1859.

Subscriptions and Donations will be thankfully received by Messrs. HANBURYS and Co., Bankers to the Society, 60, Lombard-street; and at the Society's House, Borough-road.

Printed by JACOB UNWIN, of No. 8, Grove Place, in the Parish of St. John, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, at his Printing Office, 31, Bucklersbury, in the Parish of St. Stephen, Walbrook, in the City of London; and Published by THE SOCIETY, at the Depository, Borough Road.-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1859.

THE

EDUCATIONAL RECORD.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY.

NORMAL COLLEGE.

On Friday evening, the 9th of December, the students of the Normal College met in the presence of the Committee of the Society. The meeting was presided over by Henry Edmund Gurney, Esq., the Treasurer of the Society, and, subsequently, by Robert Forster, Esq. Selections from papers prepared by the students in the course of the college examination of the previous week were read, and a statement, showing the position attained by each student in the several branches of study, was presented to the Committee by the Principal and the other officers of the Training College. The young men were afterwards addressed by the Rev. Thomas Binney on their prospects and responsibilities as teachers; and also by the chairman, and Josiah Forster, Esq.

On Tuesday, the 13th of December, the annual examination of students in training, and masters and mistresses of British Schools, for certificates of merit, took place at the Borough Road. John D. Morell, and William Scoltock, Esqrs., Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, conducted the examination.

One hundred and twenty-four students in residence were examined on the occasion, of whom 12 were young men who had completed their second year's course, 53 who had been in the Institution one year only, and 59 were female students. Twenty-three masters and eleven mistresses of British Schools were also candidates for certificates on this occasion.

On the following Tuesday, the 20th of December, an examination of candidates for Queen's Scholarships was held, under the direction of the same examiners. Eighty-one young men, and seventy-five young women, making a total of 156 candidates, presented themselves for examination, with a view to subsequent admission as students into the Normal College.

We shall give the results of these examinations in our next number.

AGENCY AND INSPECTION.

METROPOLITAN DISTRICT.-Mr. Saunders has been engaged throughout the quarter in the visitation of British Schools in and around London, chiefly in the southern district. Besides his ordinary inspection, the conduct of numerous examinations, and attendance at public meetings, Mr. Saunders has, with the sanction of the Committee of the Society, complied with the request conveyed to him by the Managers of several large Orphan Schools, and other public Institutions, by examining them in detail, and making, in some special cases, systematic reports on their condition and progress.

EASTERN COUNTIES.-During the past quarter, Mr. Milne has visited sixty-five towns and villages, and inspected eighty-one schools. He has also conducted five public examinations, consulted with the committees of seven schools, met teachers' associations at St. Ives and Ipswich, and delivered addresses to parents and others at Egginton, (Beds), Foulmire, Biggleswade, Great Shelford, Norwich, Earith, Woodhurst, Rothwell, Woollaston, Hoddesdon, and Cottenham.

School-rooms have been enlarged and improved at Rothwell, Over, and Fenstanton.

An interesting meeting was recently held in Ware, to present Mr. Dives with a public testimonial, on his retirement from the mastership of the British School, which he had retained since the school was opened, in 1818. After tea, a purse of £23 and a Bible were presented by the chairman, with the best wishes of the assembled company for his future happiness.

NORTHERN DISTRICT.-In addition to various engagements in Manchester, and other parts of Lancashire, Mr. Davis's duties have called him into the counties of Chester, York, Westmoreland, Cumberland, Durham, Lincoln, Leicester, and Stafford. Fifty-six visits have been paid to fifty-three different towns and villages, sixty-seven schools inspected, three public examinations conducted, and one teachers' meeting attended.

Teachers' Meeting.-The British teachers of the Darlington district were invited to take tea with Mr. Davis on Saturday, Nov. 26th. After tea, an interesting conversation arose, on the present state of the reading in British Schools. The difficulties in the way of obtaining good reading, especially amongst the children of the working classes, were pointed out, and various plans suggested for improving this important branch of elementary day-school education.

SOUTHERN DISTRICT.-Mr. Vardy has been principally engaged in the inspection of schools, and has, in the discharge of that and other duties, visited sixty-one cities, towns, and villages, and ninety-nine schools, in the counties of Hants, Berks, Oxon, and Bucks. He has met, for conference, five committees, with a view to the establish