about making the necessary inventions for realising the idea of an Infant Garden. The observations that a long course of years had enabled him to make in the cottages of the lower classes, on the tendencies of the maternal and infantile instincts, peculiarly adapted him for fulfilling the task he had imposed upon himself. He had never been blessed with children, so the sentiment of the love of children was diffused over the whole juvenile portion of mankind. When his great and laborious work was ended, he gave lectures on his system, and founded Infant Gardens in many of the towns of Germany, namely, Hamburg, Dresden, Leipsic, Gotha, &c., as well as in Switzerland, until his active and devoted life was brought to a close. He died on the 21st of June, 1852, aged seventy, at Marienthal, a country seat of the Duke of Meiningen, near Bad Liebenstein, in Meiningen, where, in his old age, he had founded an institution for bringing up young women as governesses. The beautiful tenor and usefulness of his long life was recognised by all who knew him. The ducal family of Meiningen, and more particularly the Duchess Ida of Weimar, sister of Queen Adelaide of England, vied with each other in showing him every possible mark of kindness and attention. The manner of his death gave the best and most beautiful proof of the Christian purport of his life. He retained his consciousness up to the very last, and joyfully answering the call of his Maker, he passed without a struggle from this world to a future and brighter existence. He never had feared death, for that full confidence in God's love, which had supported him in the bitter trials of this world, led him to look forward to it as a blessed change from life to immortality. The beauties of creation excited in him the liveliest feelings of gratitude and love, and the beautiful view that presented itself to him, even from his bed in the room where he died, as well as the flowers that were brought to him by his friends, called forth sentiments of praise and prayer. He often said that nature bore witness to the promises of revelation, and never for a moment had his mind been led, by the false philosophy of the age, to doubt of eternal life or eternal truth. He died the death of the righteous; and it is only within the last few years that his countrymen have manifested a desire to do justice to his genius. The realisation of his plans has been accompanied by innumerable difficulties; but his method has been received with enthusiasm in various places, where his infant gardens now flourish. Even at the present day, however, the confounding of Frederick Fröbel with his two nephews has caused his system of education to be much opposed in Germany; it progresses, however, in spite of all opposition, and even in America institutions have been founded for carrying out his principles.* * Heinrich Hoffman, one of Frederick Fröbel's pupils, is at present in London, where he intends remaining for some months, for the purpose of giving instruction in Fröbel's educational system to mothers, nurses, teachers, &c. THE FORMATION OF AN HERBARIUM.* By SHIRLEY Hibberd, Look on these flowers! as o'er an altar shedding O'er Milton's page soft light from coloured urns! They are from lone wild places, forest dingles, Fresh banks of many a low-voiced hidden stream, They are from where the soft winds play in gladness, THE practical study of Botany is a source of the most pure gratification, opening, as it does, a new world of life, lying at our very feet, and furnishing food for pleasant thoughts at all times and seasons. Putting aside its high utility as a branch of natural science, it is in itself one of the most pure and innocent enjoyments in which we can possibly indulge. Some of the most delightful memories of our own are associated with the herbarium. We have been led into some of the most sweet and sunny spots of " Merrie England," in quest of specimens for drying and preserving. In presenting the reader with a few directions for the preparation of botanical specimens, we shall presume that he has a love for botanical science, and would wish to adopt that course in the formation of a collection of plants which would prove most useful in advancing his studies; for although dried plants are objects of great beauty, and are frequently collected and preserved for their beauty alone, yet those who most need information on this subject are those who, just entering upon botanical studies, are desirous of knowing something more of the plants they collect than the mere colours of their blossoms. The directions we shall give will be those which we follow in our own practice, but they are, of course, subject to all the modifications which the taste or means of the individual may suggest. In the first place you must get your plants; this is a work for all seasons, and not an amusement for summer merely. The most exquisite specimens of mosses and lichens are only to be obtained in the winter, and are in the highest perfection during sharp frosty weather. To know the best spots and situations for particular tribes of plants must be a matter of experience; but, at commencing, the student will do well to collect plants of * See NOTICES OF BOOKS, "Brambles and Bay Leaves." a dry woody texture, as ferns, heaths, grasses, and mosses. They should always be collected, if possible, in dry weather, as the trouble of preparing is increased tenfold if they are gathered wet with rain; this, of course, cannot always be insured, and it will often happen that choice specimens may be obtained during unfavourable weather, when it might not be convenient to visit the same spot on more favourable occasions. The moment a plant is obtained, the process of drying should be commenced; for this purpose it will be necessary to have a collecting box. These are usually made of tin, and may be purchased at the herbalist's shops. We have always used a box made of milled board covered with leather, and furnished with suitable fastenings, after the fashion of a small portmanteau. The larger the box the better, as the specimens can then be placed in it root and stem entire, without breaking. Convenience of transit, however, will not admit the use of a box so large as many plants require, the size we have found most convenient, both for facility of carriage and for preservation of the specimens, is about eighteen inches in length by eight in width, and about six inches deep. Before starting from home the box should be about half filled with strips of dry blotting or coarse sugar paper cut to fit it, and several pieces of cardboard covered also with blotting paper. A strong pocket book with some pieces of blotting paper will also be found very useful for small and choice plants. A strong pruning knife will answer all purposes for cutting and digging up. When you determine on taking up a plant look carefully about for the most neat and perfect specimen, and then dig it up carefully, and with the root as entire as possible. It is impossible to get more than a small portion of the roots of some trailing and creeping plants, but, whenever it is possible, obtain the roots, stem, leaves, flower, and fruit of every plant complete. Nothing but practice will enable you to determine the best mode of procedure in all cases; this is a matter of detail and study. You will find some plants curl up and wither a few minutes after being removed from the soil (this is particularly the case with water plants and some succulent land plants), while others may be neglected for hours without much injury. Having obtained your plant, place it between some pieces of blotting paper, and put several of the pieces of cardboard above and below it. Lay the plant so that it will dry flat and preserve its natural character; if too thick in foliage, it will be better to break off some of its branches, for if the leaves lie thick upon each other it can scarcely ever become a good specimen. Having filled your box with plants, alternating with slips of cardboard and blotting-paper, you are at liberty to continue your pilgrimage, and develope all the green heroism you may have, or to return home; at least, as far as we are concerned. For completing the drying process, it will be necessary to have a quantity of porous paper, such as good blotting or coarse sugar paper. A few thin pieces of flat wood are also necessary, and some leather straps furnished with buckles. A convenient size for the boards is about sixteen inches by twelve; we use various sizes ourselves according to the size of the plants. Let a board be warmed at the fire, and then warm a few pieces of the paper and lay upon it; lay one plant on this, taking care to place the leaves smooth, and to bend the flower aside so that the leaves do not touch it, in order that its colour may not be deteriorated by contact. Pile up boards, paper, and plants, in this way, until six or eight, or perhaps a dozen, specimens have been so managed; then strap them round tightly, or pile a few books or weights upon them to press them, and let them lie in a dry place where there are no smoky vapours or fumes that are likely to injure them. If the plants are very moist, and particularly if they are aquatic, they must be tended very carefully; take them out after three or four hours, and dry the papers well at the fire and replace them. If they are of a dry nature this need only be performed once a day until they are quite dry. (To be continued.) GEOLOGY.-No. I. (BY DR. MILL.) Ir would be difficult, perhaps, to select a subject within the whole circle of human knowledge, which has excited so much interest as the science of geology. It is so new, comprehensive, and interesting, and is creating such a revolution in all our notions respecting the past history of the earth, that every person of education and intelligence is supposed to have some acquaintance with it. We propose, in this article, to show how it may be taught in the school, and even in the nursery; for it can be adapted to every capacity: the philosopher finds it a subject for the most sublime speculations, and the youth a romance more interesting than the "Arabian Nights' Entertainment." Its discoveries have all the freshness of new coin added to the already accumulated store of human knowledge, and it is increasing the intellectual treasury of mankind every day. Science has generally been rendered dull and repulsive to the learner by the terms used to convey it. Compound Greek and Latin words are plain and instructive enough to learned men; but to put a list of such terms before the unlearned and children, is like putting the fossil department of the British Museum before a plough-boy, to whom all those treasures are but bones and stones.* * We never knew how ridiculous this is until the other evening, when we happened around us. All scientific teaching should be objective, and where this is not attended to, the lessons will hardly ever be interesting. With all geological teaching it is easy, for all we teach about exists in abundance It will be necessary, in the first place, that everything to be communicated should be properly arranged. We commence by making some plain and intelligible divisions of the subject. Professor Ansted has divided the whole past history of the earth into ten great periods, something in the following manner. We recommend the teacher to copy them in large letters, and keep the paper hung up in some conspicuous part of the school, that the mind of the pupil may always be kept fixed upon the period under consideration. TABULAR VIEW OF THE SUCCESSIVE GEOLOGICAL PERIODS. III. MODERN Period. II. OR MIDDLE PERIOD. I. ANCIENT PERIOD. 10. The period of the caverns and the gravel, characterised in Europe 8. The period of the Pychederms of the Paris basin, and of the 7. Period of the chalk and greensand, during the deposit of which there was probably a deep sea covering large portions of the existing land. 6. Period of the gigantic land reptiles, the flying reptiles, the gigantic crocodilians, and the first introduction of mammalian animals. -(Wealdon and Oolite.) 5. The period of frog-like, bird-like, and marine reptiles. 4. The period marked by great abundance of plants and the first in- 2. Period of invertebrated animals.-(Silurian.) 1. Period antecedent to the introduction of animal life.—(Azoic.) to attend a lecture by Dr. of Bombay, who, having nothing to give us of his own, repeated the whole of one of Messrs. Chambers' Educational Courses verbatim. The audience, a very intelligent one, laughed heartily, but all must have felt that what had amused us was by no means adapted to instruct a child. The long list of names gabbled over in a sing-song style was ridiculous enough, but if without previous knowledge, we had been compelled to learn them all, the effort would have been a great one, and, after all, we should have known but little of the science which we were studying, we should have spent so much time over the names, that our knowledge of the things named would have been very limited. |