Book Description

Excerpt from Elements of Agriculture: For the Use of Primary and Secondary Schools Gentlemen: - Two of your new colleagues, Mr. Bentz, Director of the Normal Primary School of the Department of the Meurthe, and Mr. Chretien, Professor of Rural Economy in the same school - both honorary members of the Central Agricultural Society of Nancy - have just published an elementary work on the science that you cultivate. I have been appointed to examine, and report upon this work - a duty that I most cheerfully undertake. I must, however, be first permitted to declare, that with me it is a subject of some delicacy, inasmuch as I have myself published two works having the same object in view with that of Messrs. Bentz and Chretien; it shall not, however, prevent me from stating candidly the impression made upon my mind by their publication. I have read, with attention and continued interest, the "Elements of Agriculture for the Use of Primary Schools." The first observation that struck me was, that they had been faithful to their title-page. Thus, we find nothing in their work that is not absolutely elementary, but sufficient, nevertheless, for the object in view. The teacher may with confidence draw upon its pages for all that seems to be of primary necessity, for himself first, and then for the children or adults confided to his care. Another thing that we remarked on opening the new work of our honorable colleagues, is the insertion at the end of each subdivision of a chapter, of a series of questions, so skilfully put, as to compel the reader or scholar to review, involuntarily as it were, the subject upon which his attention has for a moment been directed. This is a happy idea - an innovation that may bear good fruit; and we do not hesitate to aver, that the complete absence of replies seems to us the more judicious, as it compels, in the formation of these replies, an exercise of both the judgment and memory. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.