duce it to practice. Both
modes of teaching the boy are obviously wrong. He would, when sent to
it, learn his business in much less time by a previous acquaintance with
its principles; and all these ought to have been furnished him as a
part of his general knowledge while he attended the school. Such
information, indeed, ought to have formed a large portion of his
education;--and it will be a matter of surprise to every one who closely
considers the subject, how soon and how easily the principles, even of
so complicated a trade as a carpenter, may be acquired when they are
taught in the right way, and at the proper time. A few of the simplest
principles in mechanics practically learned,--a knowledge of the
strength and adhesion of bodies,--of the nature of edge tools,--and the
importance of accuracy and caution, might have been made familiar to him
while attending his studies; and if carefully and constantly reduced to
practice, these would have been of the greatest service to him when
called to the work-shop.

The methods by which natural philosophy ought to be taught in schools,
must partake of all the laws which Nature employs in the several parts
of her teaching. Individuation, Grouping, and especially Analysis, must
be rigidly attended to. By dividing all the subjects of general
knowledge into the two grand divisions of Terrestrial and Celestial, and
these again into their several parts, the whole field of useful
knowledge would be mapped out, and connected together, so that each
subject would occupy a distinct place of its own, and be readily found
when it was required. The facts, or at least the most useful facts
connected with each of these, would very soon be communicated; and when
turned into a popular and useful form, by drawing and applying the
corresponding lessons, the ease and delight of laying up these precious
stores of useful knowledge by children, will not be easily conceived by
those who have not witnessed it.

With respect to _the ease_ with which this method of communicating
knowledge can be accomplished, we may remark in general, that when a
principle has been explained, and has become familiar to the child, all
the phenomena arising out of it, when pointed out, are readily perceived
and retained upon the memory in connection with it. For example, by a
knowledge of the principle which teaches that fluids press equally on
all sides, when considered in connection with the weight of the
atmosphere,