patience. I have found that this apparent stupidity of the child was almost always due to the fact that he does not know what is meant by the question.

In all such cases a few well directed questions from another standpoint than that taken by the teacher will clear away the fog and bring a glow of interest and enthusiasm to the child's mind.

The fault, I believe, lies in the teacher's lack of versatility. He understands the subject himself, though he has never approached it from more than one direction; but when his pupil cannot make the attack from the same side, there is no one to find another approach, and a “dead-lock" is the result. Hence, I believe, that one of our most pressing needs is a supply of teachers with broad, general advanced ideas of the subjects to be taught.

With this end in view, I have determined to issue no more third class certificates, and to make the requirements for the first and second classes as high as I can.

At present we have not quite enough teachers to fill our schools, but I hope to be able to meet the demand before the winter schools begin. However, it is my business to guard the children from the experiments of quacks, and if the boards of directors "freeze out " the best teachers a little wholesome want may do some good.

I hope the time will come when we can make methods count as much on a certificate as all the rest. But this cannot be until we have anabundance of those academically qualified to choose from.

The county high school is in a very prosperous condition. It has now in regular attendance more pupils than it ever before enrolled in an entire year.

This school furnishes us annually twice as many teachers as all other sources within the county. Respectfully submitted.

HAMILTON COUNTY.

G. F. RICHARDSON.

A

The schools of Hamilton county are improving materially. higher grade of qualification is being reached, and a more lively interest awakened throughout the county.

The short term institute, held August 21, containing two weeks, was productive of marked good. Teachers went forth to their several schools clothed, as it were, with a genuine and deep-seated inspiration. We took a new departure in institute work this year. It was entirely a work of methods, leaving academic work for the schools and colleges. The teachers realized the great advantages of the change. I have so far modified my examinations as to make them a test of methods and aims in teaching, as well as a test of scholarship.

The law makes it obligatory on the part of the county superintendent to hold annually a normal institute, but leaves it optional with teachers to attend; consequently there are some poor teachers in the county who never attend institutes, and even boast that they never will unless compelled to do so by the law.

The law is defective. Missouri State law compels teachers to attend normal institutes, or withhold certificates. It is the experience of the best minds to-day, that of all appliances for professional awakening and parental awakening, too-none can compare with a wisely conducted and well attended institute. The school interests of our great State demand a modification of the Code touching this matter.

I have done actual work in every school in the county, thereby getting a measure of uniformity of methods in teaching. We intend to organize a county teachers' association, and shall also hold educational meetings throughout the county.

We have ordered an advance all along our part of the line, and the teachers are getting the step with a degree of precision. The outlook is very encouraging.

JACKSON COUNTY.

C. A. MILLER.

The schools of Jackson county seem to be in a prosperous condition. Considerable trouble has been experienced in getting teachers. This has tended to raise the wages, but yet they are much lower than is to be desired. The grade of qualification has been raised to 95 per cent for a first, and 85 per cent for a second class certificate, No third class is issued.

The schools are being graded, with marked success. A uniform course of study has been adopted, which is making the work much more connected and, consequently, better.

The superintendent has issued several circulars to the school officers and teachers, urging the former to retain teachers who have proven successful, and to provide better black-boards, etc. And urging the latter to demand better apparatus and more convenient appliances to help in their work. This has, to some extent, brought about a needed reformation.

We look forward to the next year with the hope of securieg a systematic organization. The teachers see in this a great benefit to themselves, and are lending their assistance to this end.

JASPER COUNTY.

R. A. MATHEWS.

The people of Jasper county have a growing interest in the schools. Several new school-houses have been erected the past year, and as has been the case for several years, all are improved in architecture, and seated with easy and comfortable seats.

There is also considerable interest manifested in school apparatus and school libraries, especially the latter-Newton township having voted four hundred and fifty dollars ($450) for the nine schools, and a wide-awake committee of the board are closing up contracts for the books. This is the second district township of our county that has taken hold of the library question in such a business-like way. Nearly all of our graded schools have growing libraries, and some of our district schools have established, independently, and are maintaining, libraries of merit and great advantage to the schools. The latter plan has succeeded only where the teacher has remained two or three successive years in the same schools.

The work of fostering libraries and encouraging school-room ornamentation has been aided very much by premiums distributed by the agricultural society during the past three years-about two hundred and fifty dollars having been distributed among schools here and there in two-thirds of the townships of the county. The teachers and friends of education have made this a permanent department of the county fair by erecting an exposition building on the fair grounds, at a cost of two hundred and fifty dollars; the society being pledged to offer one hundred dollars each year in premiums for work from the schools. The exhibit for 1882 was full, and quite interesting to all visitors, as well as affording teachers an opportunity to compare work, and pupils a higher idea of what the school may do for them, or rather what they may do for themselves.

Our normal institute has been quite a success in inculcating principles and methods of teaching; and for earnestness in seeking light, and for zeal in working according to their light, many of our teachers deserve commendation.

It would afford a better and much more accurate showing of the work of the schools, if the "annual report" could be made with the retiring of directors from office, as many directors retain the same teacher in their schools for the year of their term (ending in the spring), but the annual report, in September, represents many such schools as having two teachers employed during the year, when the history of the school is really much better.

The accuracy of the reports would also be much enhanced if the teachers' reports were sent directly to the county superintendent, and were made up in his office. Many of the secretaries misapprehend the work, and the result is wrong returns to the county superinten

dent, and no means at hand to correct, unless he has full reports from all his teachers in his office.

Our secretaries and treasurers were prompt with their work this year, with one or two exceptions, as they have been every year during my work in the office.

KEOKUK COUNTY.

C. H. M'GREW.

If I were to report the condition of our schools, as gathered from the communities and teachers of Keokuk county, I should say as a whole they are doing well, and indeed the educational work of our county is in an encouraging condition.

But a county superintendent must be more than a mere gatherer of opinions, more than a superficial observer, more than a mere clerk in his office; his great work lies in enforcing principles, disseminating natural methods, operating systems, and in planning, organizing, and systematizing the work for his teachers and boards.

So on entering a school-room one often wishes for the power to grasp things, twisting them out of their old relations and conditions. into the new and natural ones; and command them not to recede. But this could not be, because educational progress is like all other social phenomena. It is a growth. Yet I believe that growth cannot be too rapid. I believe we cannot accelerate that growth too much by enforcing right principles, applying natural methods, and replacing old ideas by new and improved ones.

To this end I have acted during the short time I have been at the head of our schools. Seeing the necessity of a greater interest and better qualifications among teachers and patrons, I have organized a system of local institutes, to be held in different parts of the county. My plan is to utilize local talent among our teachers as much as possible, furnish the rest from abroad and also secure some citizen to discuss educational topics of general interest to the community while I