Closing at the time.-Hear no more till to-morrow.

cobs and send it to mill, and it is ground into meal. They make bread of the meal, and we eat it.

This last pupil has looked a little further into domestic economy than those who answered before her. But by this time, perhaps before, the five minutes have been nearly expended, and yet several hands are up, and the faces of several are beaming with eagerness to tell their thoughts. Let the teacher then say, "We will have no more answers to-day. You may think of this matter till to-morrow, and then I will let you try again. I am sorry to tell you that none of you have mentioned the use I was thinking of, though I confess I expected it every minute. I shall not be surprised if no one of you give this answer to-morrow. I shall now put the ear of corn in my desk, and no one of you must speak to me about it till to-morrow. You may now take your studies."

The children now breathe more freely, while the older ones take their studies, and the next class is called. In order to success, it is absolutely necessary that the teacher should positively refuse to hold any conversation with the children on the subject till the next time for 'general exercise.'

During the remainder of the forenoon the teacher will very likely observe some signs of thoughtfulness on the part of those little children who have been habitually dull before. And perhaps some child, eager to impart a new discovery, will seek an opportunity to make it known during the forenoon. "Wait till tomorrow," should be the teacher's only reply.

The children go home.-They observe.-They inquire.

Now let us follow these children as they are dismissed while they bend their steps toward home. They cluster together in groups as they go down the hill, and they seem to be earnestly engaged in conversation. "I don't believe it has any other use," says John. "Oh, yes, it has," says Susan; "our teacher would not say so if it had not. Besides, did you not see what a knowing look he had, when he drew up his brow and said he guessed we couldn't find it out?”

says

"Well, I mean to ask my mother," says little Mary; “I guess she can tell.”

By-and-by as they pass a field of corn, Samuel sees a squirrel running across the street, with both his cheeks distended with 'plunder.'

At home, too, the ear of corn is made the subject of conversation. "What is an ear of corn for, mother?" says little Mary, as soon as they have taken a seat at the dinner-table.

Mother. An ear of corn, child? why, don't you know? It is to feed the fowls, and the pigs, and the cattle; and we make bread of it too

Mary. Yes, we told all that, but the teacher says that is not all.

Mother. The teacher?

Mary. Yes, ma'am, the teacher had an ear of corn at school, and he asked us what it was for; and after we had told him every thing we could think of, he said there was another thing still. Now I want to find out, so that I can tell him.

The consequence of this would be that the family,

Their family become interested.-Second day.-Anecdote.

father, mother, and older brothers and sisters, would resolve themselves into a committee of the whole on the ear of corn. The same, or something like this, would be true in other families in the district; and by the next morning, several children would have something further to communicate on the subject. The hour would this day be awaited with great in.erest, and the first signal would produce perfect silence.

The teacher now takes the ear of con from the desk, and displays it before the school; and quite a number of hands are instantly raised as if eager to be the first to tell what other use they have discovered for it.

The teacher now says pleasantly, "The use I am thinking of, you have all observed I have no doubt; it is a very important use indeed; but as it is a little out of the common course, I shall not be surprised if you cannot give it. However you may try."

'It is good to boil !"* says little Susan, almost springing from the floor as she speaks.

*The children themselves will be sure to find some new answers to such questions as the above. In giving in substance this lecture to a gathering of teachers in the Autumn of 1845, in one of the busy villages of New York, where also the pupils of one of the district schools were present by invitation, I had described a process similar to that which has been dwelt upon above. I had given the supposed answers for the first day, and had described the children as pressing the question at home. When I had proceeded as far as to take up the ear of corn the second day, and had spoken of the possibility that the true answer to the question might not be given, I turned almost instinctively to the class of children at my right, saying, “Now what is the ear of corn for?" A little boy some six years of age, who had swallowed every word, and whose face glowed as if there was not room enough for his soul within him, bounded upon his feet, and forgetting the publicity of the place, and the gravity of the chairman of the meeting,

Older pupils interested.-The secret revealed.

"And it is for squirrels to eat," says little Samuel. "I saw one carry away a whole mouthful yesterday from the cornfield."

Others still mention other uses, which they have observed. They mention other animals which feed upon it, or other modes of cooking it. The older pupils begin to be interested, and they add to the list of uses named. Perhaps, however, none will name the one the teacher has in his own mind; he should cordially welcome the answer if perchance it is given ; if none should give it, he may do as he thinks best about giving it himself on this occasion. Perhaps if there is time he may do so,—after the following manner.

"I have told you that the answer I was seeking was a very simple one; it is something you have all observed, and you may be a little disappointed when I tell you. The use I have been thinking of for the ear of corn is this;-It is to plant. It is for seed, to propagate that species of plant called corn." Here the children may look disappointed, as much as to say, 'we knew that before.'

The teacher continues: "And this is a very important use for the corn; for if for one year none should be planted, and all the ears that grew the year before should be consumed, we should have no more corn. This, then, was the great primary design of the corn; the other uses you have named were merely secondary.

clapping his hands forcibly together, "It's to pop!" he exclaimed emphatically, very much to the amusement of the audience. His mind had been waked up.

A new question.-Another.-Impart instruction.

But I mean to make something more of my ear corn. My next question is:-DO OTHER PLANTS HA SEEDS?"*

Here is a new field of inquiry. Many hands a instantly raised; but as the five minutes by this tim have passed, leave them to answer at the next time.

"Have other plants seeds?" the children begin t inquire in their own minds, and each begins to think over a list of such plants as he is familiar with. Wher they are dismissed, they look on the way home at the plants by the roadside, and when they reach home, they run to the garden. At the table they inquire of their parents, or their brothers and sisters.

At the next exercise, they will have more than they can tell in five minutes as the results of their own observation and research. When enough has been said by the children as to the plants which have seeds, the next question may be: Do ALL PLANTS HAVE SEEDS? This question will lead to much inquiry at home wherever botany is not well understood. There are many who are not aware that all plants have seeds. Very likely the ferns (common brakes) will be noticed by the children themselves. They may also name several other plants which do not exhibit their apparatus for seed-bearing very conspicuously. This will prepare the way for the teacher to impart a little information. Nor is there any harm in his doing so, whenever he is satisfied that the mind has been suitably exercised.