those sent in from sevent-five, would report one hundred and eighteen thousand nine hundred and seventeen, as certainly taught. Now, in the reports sent to me, it appears that teachers were paid for instructing in a number of districts from which there are no reports of the number of children attending school; and it is also well known to those who have had official connection with the system, that when the reports of the chairmen are made out there are some schools in operation, in nearly every county, and not reported, while in other districts there have been no schools within a year on account of the removal of houses, or the building of new ones, the change of boundaries, or the desire to let the fund accumulate. It will so happen, from these various causes, that there will be no returns of the number of children taught in one third of the districts in the State-and in which there have been, or will soon be schools. As intimated, the children at tending school in these districts will amount to one third, or very near it, of the whole number who receive instruction at the common schools; but estimating the number as being one third of that reported in 75 counties, it is thirtyfour thousand and ninety-five, (34,095.) Estimating the number as one third of all that would have been reported in the whole State, and it is thirty-nine thousand six hundred and thirty-nine, (39,639); and both of these estimates are very moderate, the former allow ing the unreported children attending the common schools of the whole State to be equal in number to one-fourth of all in structed in 75 counties, and the latter estimating them at one-fourth of all who are instructed in all the counties. The former estimate would give the whole number attending the common schools as one hundred and fifty-three thousand and twelve (153,012); and the latter as one hundred and fifty-eight thousand five hundred and fifty-six, (158,556.) of the number of children receivI feel certain that my estimate ing instruction at the common is under the truth; and I now schools, as given in my last report, assert that the number is at least one hundred and fifty-five thousand. I therefore report the whole number of white children in the State between the ages of six and twenty-one, as at least two hundred and twenty-five thousand, and the whole number receiving instruction at the common schools as one hundred and fifty-five thousand, (155,000.) There are receiving instruction at colleges, academies, select private schools, at home, at surday schools, and at schools abroad, at least fifteen thousand. Of those who are barely six years old, or even seven or eight, a considerable number who will attend the common schools have not yet been sent for the first time; and of those between fifteen and eighteen, not a few have finishod their education. It is here again asserted, as in former reports, that the proportion of wholly illiterate persons among the rising generation will be vastly less than among those whose places they will take; less according to present appearances than that among their contemporaries 1 in a very considerable majority of these assertions to have been suffi the States of the Union. The number of counties reporting the whole number of districts this year is seventy-seven, and the number of districts given is three thousand two hundred and thirtyseven, and at the same rate the number in the whole State would be three thousand five hundred and seventy-three. Seventy-seven counties make returns of the number of schools taught, and the number reported in these is two thousand six hundred and two. Seventy-two counties report the license of one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four male teacheac, and of two hundred and five female, in all two thousand one hundred and ninety-nine. ciently accurate. common Table II., in this report, con. tains an account of the receipts and expenditures for school purposes in seventy-one counties: and it must be borne in mind that with receipts are count→ ed reported balances in the hands of the chairmen of the boards of county superintendents. The total receipts is three hundred and seventy-one thousand three hundred and twenty dollars and seven cents, ($371,320,07;) of expenditures, two hundred and twenty-one thousand one hundred and thirty-two dollars and fifty cents, ($221,132,50;) and balances in hand, one hundred and fiftytwo thousand one hundred and seventy-three dollars and eightyThe names and rank of nine-seven cents, ($152,173.87.) *This teen-twentieths of these are giv- large unexpended balance needs a en, but it should be added that word of explanation. from various causes not more than two-thirds of the certificates issued to teachers are reported to me. I am satisfied that the law in regard to teachers is very generally enforced and every year I have additional reason to be pleased with the workings of the regulations adopted in regard to this part of our system The average length of the schools taught during the year, for the whole State, was 3 7-10 (three and seven-tenths) months, and the average salary of the teachers twenty-three dollars and sixty-two cents per month. The exact average length of the schools, and average salary for last year were not calculated, but it was stated that the former was about four months, and the latter twenty-four dollars. It will be seen above that the areful additions of this year prove It has already been stated that when the chairmen of county boards make their returns a number of schools are in session; and that there might appear to be no exaggeration of the number of children who attend schools and are not reported, these existing schools were undoubtedly under estimated. Of the one hundred and fiftytwo thousand dollars in the hands of chairmen in September, seventy thousand will be called for by drafts in favor of teachers, before the spring dividend from the Literary Fund will be received; and *To make these results balance it must be remembered that in the counties of Camden, Carteret, Cleveland, Duplin and Sampson, the expenditures exceed the receipts by $1,986.30. This sum should be added to the total receipts to make that column balance the total expenditures and sums in hand added together. CORRECT SPEAKING.-We advise all young people to acquire in early life the habit of using good language, both in speaking and as this sum is equal to one third of the expenditures reported it would follow that the number of children who are taught this year, and not reported, is equal to one-writing, and to abandon as early as third of the whole number reported as receiving instruction. It will be remembered that the number taught this year and not reported, and the number who will be taught in districts where the schools are temporarily suspended were all estimated as equal to one-third of the number reported as taught; and thus it is seen that the assertion that one hundred and fifty-five thousand children are receiving instruction in the common schools of the State is based on certain data, and cannot be an exaggeration. Two districts in the State have two schools, (at one house,) sustained by the public fund during the year; and while the schools now in operation will be reported next year, it must be remembered that they will be set off by an equal number that will not end in time to be reported that year, and that will be begun for the first time in twelve, eighteen or twenty-four months.* The average of expenditure to the county is $3,114.54-and the expenditure in the whole State, for the current year, was about two hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars, (265,000.) *The schools now in operation will be the first on the report for the next year; and of those in operation when the returns are made up for next year, part will be in the districts already reported as taught. Still a considerable number of schools will be in session at the making of each report, and there will be no return of previous schools in these districts for that year. possible any use of slang words and phrases. The longer they live the more difficult the acquisition of good language will be; and if the golden age of youth, the proper season for the acquisition of language, be passed in its abuse, the unfortunate victim of neglected education is, very properly, doomed to talk slang for life. Money is not necessary to procure this education, every man has it in his power. He has merely to use the language which he reads, instead of the slang which he hears; to form his taste from the best speakers and poets of the country; to treasure up choice phrases in his memory, and habituate himself to their use-avoiding, at the same time, that pedantic precision and bombast which show rather the weakness of a vain ambition than the polish of an educated mind. IT SHINES FOR ALL.-The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy. The lonely pine on the mountain top waves its sombre boughs, and cries, "Thou art my sun!" And the little meadow violet lifts its cap of blue, and whispers with its perfumed beath, "Thou art my sun!" And the grain in a thousand fields rustles in the wind, and makes answer, "Thou art my sun!' So God sits in heaven, not for a favored few, but for the universe of life; and there is no creature so poor or so low, that he may not look up with childlike confidence, and say, "My Father, thou art mine !" Resident Editor's Department. EVIDENCES OF IMPROVEMENT.-As one of the best evidences that the teachers of our State are improving, we mention the fact that they feel their need of still further improvement. So long as there was no manifestation of the least desire for personal or mutual improvement, each one being satisfied with his own attainments, and not caring to know what advances others were making in methods of teaching, or how he might become a better teacher, we were surely not making much progress towards perfection. That there is now a desire for improvement is evinced by several facts, among which we will mention the following: 1st. For the last three years we have had a State Educational Association, organized by teachers and other friends of education, for mutual improvement, and to aid in advancing the general interests of the cause in which we are all coworkers. But the interest thus manifested is of very recent origin and has not yet pervaded every part of the Statc and found its way into the minds of every teacher; for a few years previous to the organization of our Association, a call was made for a convention to meet in the city of Raleigh for a similar purpose, which resulted in a total failure, no one seeming to care anything about such matters. But when a call was made in 1856 for a meeting in Salisbury, the way having been prepared by our Superintendent of Common Schools, by setting forth the objects of the convention in a circular addressed to the friends of the cause throughout the State, marked success attended the effort. Almost every sec tion of the State was represented; all seemed to enter heartily into the work, andour State Educational Association is the result. Each succeeding meeting of the Association has been attended by increasing numbers, and we are sure that its influence will manifest itself, before many years have elapsed, in a higher standard of qualifications among teachers, in all the departments of our educational system. As a second evidence of improvement and one of the direct results of our Association, we may mention the fact that our teachers and other friends of the cause, feeling the necessity of an organ, devoted especially to the interests of education, through which they might communicate with each other, have established this Journal, and support it for their mutual benefit.... Whether it is supported as it should be or not, either by contributions to its pages or to its list of subscribers, is a question which we wish each one to answer for himself, by asking how he has performed his part. While its very existence is a mark of improvement, it may be made, if properly encouraged, a most important means of still greater improvement. A third evidence of improvement may be seen in the Associations, in various parts of the State, embracing one county, or a district comprising two or three counties. Although we have heretofore spoken with regret of the languishing condition of some of these Associations, yet we are glad to know that some of them are in a flourishing condition and are exerting a marked influence upon their members and up following. on the schools around them. We hope Who will send a solution? that those now in existence may be Question 1.-A. and B. bought a more active in the great and good work tract of land, containing 200 acres, before them; that many others may for which they paid $600. They were to divide it into two parts of equal valsoon be organized, and that all will reue, but in dividing it, A's land was port their doings to us that we may found to be worth 75 cts. per acre more keep our readers advised of what is do- than B's. How much land did each ing. They may be the means of stim- get, and at what price per acre ? ulating others, and thus extend their influence beyond their own counties. MATHEMATICAL. -We expressed a wish, some months since, that our friends would send us such mathematical items as they might think would be useful and interesting, provided they did not require figures and illustrations, such as our Printers were not able to furnish. A correspondent sends us the following theorem, which we think may often save labor in obtaining the squares of large numbers. He remarks, in regard to it: In my headwork, I sometimes use theorems not found in the books. The following occurred to me while working a problem in Algebra and has since contributed much to diminish my labor, I send it to you thinking it may be of service to others." THEOREM The sum of any two consecutive numbers is equal to the difference of their squares, FORMULA (a+1)+a=(a+1)-a2=a2+2 a +1—a2=2 a+1= (a+1)+a. APPLICATION Required the square of 79: (79) (80) (79+80)=6400 -159-6241. THE TIMES. No other literary paper in the South is holding out such inducements for patronage as the Times, published by Messrs. Cole & Albright, the Printers of the Journal. Send for a specimen and let it speak for itself. Those who have not seen it since the beginning of the present year will be astonished at the improvements its enterprising publishers have made in the present volume. ADVERTISEMENTS.We would invite the attention of teachers to the many valuable books advertised in the Journal. And here we will remark that the amount of reading matter will always be the same, no matter how many pages may be devoted to advertisements; so that whatever valuable information you may gain from these pages is so much additional. Much is often gained by a glance at these advertisements. You will frequently meet with the name of some work, on a subject that you may wish to study, which you did not know was in existence; or you may be induced to purchase a good book from reading the recommendations of others. We will procure any of the books advertised in the Journal, for our friends, Required the square of 91 : at publishers' prices, for single copies, (91)2=902+90+91-8100+181 or at lower rates in larger numbers. =8281. The same friend promises to send us a theorem for finding cubes also. CLUB RATES.-As our club rates are hardly sufficient to cover the actual Another correspondent has sent the expenses of printing the Journal we |