Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/760

 730 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. the right-hand cxtremitj' of all the desks a hoard is fixed perpendicularly in the ground, and nailed against the further side of the desks. This hoard is of the same hreadth as the desk, and rises ahout one foot and a half ahovc it. Upon this the dictating lessons and class marks are to he hung. 1543. Telegraphs are small hoards, six inches long and four inches hroad. One of these boards is attached to each class, except the first. Upon one side of the board is inscribed the number of the class, and on the other the letters E X. The telegraphs arc made to tm-n freely on an iron rod, about twelve inches in height, the other end of which is firmly screwed into the perpendicular standard at the end of the desk : by fur- nisliing the top of each of these standards with a screw nut, the telegraphs may be changed from one to another, as occasion requires. 1544. Drawers for the Pencils. In schools situated in a country where slate pencils are dear, it is best not to allow the children to take away the pencils with them when they leave the school : the pencils may in that case be deposited in drawers placed under the first desk of each class. 1545. Semicircles for Eeaaintj. On the floor of the passages, semicircles are formed opposite to the wall : they may consist of a wooden or iron hoop sunk in the ground to tlje level of the pavement, or be marked by an incision in the floor, which will be found to answer better. Round these seirucircles the children are to be arranged for reading. The diameter of each semicircle must be four feet, and a space of two feet and a half should be left between each of them. The passages, in a school of more than three hundred cliildren, should be six feet broad ; in a school of from one hundred to three hundred children, the breadth of these passages should be five feet ; in a very small school, the desks may be brought close to the wall on one side, and passages of five feet left on the othei's. Each semicircle will contain nine children, or from that to twelve, if they stand close to each other. When the number of children in attendance is greater than can be accommodated in the passages of the school, one or two classes may remain in their seats, and continue at those exercises which are performed sitting ; or they may be ar- ranged in small divisions between the desks, by suspending the lesson on a movable standard, which may be inserted in a staple fixed at the edge of some of the desks, at convenient distances ; but it rarely happens that this is necessary, as experience proves that a considerable number of the children are always absent, on account of illness, and from various other causes. 1546. Slates and Pencils are substituted in these schools for paper and pens, which are onl3' used by those children who have made considerable proficiency in writing. This plan is economical ; and greatly accelerates the progress of the children. The slates should be of an even grain, ground flat, and polished ; the red slate is generally harder than the blue, and answers remarkably well. The pencils must be made of the softest kind of slate, that they may be more easily pointed, and leave a fuller and clearer mark; the flat slate, being harder, grinds off a portion of the pencil at every stroke. The slates are to be about a quarter of an inch in thickness, and without frames. The slates of the second, third, fourth, and fifth classes are five inches broad and eight inches long ; those of the sixth are five inches broad and nine inches long ; those of the seventh class are five inches hroad and eleven inches long ; and the slates of the eighth class are five inches broad and twelve inches long. All these slates have a hole made in them, through which is passed a piece of string, well twisted, by which they may be suspended. The length of this double string is from three to five inches : they are hung upon round- Jieaded screws. These screws are fixed upon all the desks in the school, except those of the first class, at the distance of half an inch from the highest edge; and serve to mark the seats of the pupils, opposite which they should be placed. The distance between two screws should be eighteen inches, or fifteen inches, if no more space can be allowed to each child. The first screw in every desk should be placed at half the distance allowed to each child, or at nine inches from the end ; in this manner every pupil will have his slate suspended opposite to him. It is found convenient, in some schools, to fix a rail under the desk board, at about two inches from its under surface, for the purpose of holding the slates. In small schools, where it is necessary to fix the desks very close to each other, with the view of saving room, this arrangement is indispensable. 1547. Paper, Pens, and Ink. Most of the pupils in the eighth class write occasionally upon paper. They must each of them, therefore, be provided with a copy-book and pens : these, as well <is penknives, may be distributed as rewards. The copy-books are placed in a drawer of the master's desk. 1548. Copies for Writing. The children who write in copy-books are all provided with engraved copies, which they are to endeavour to imitate. These copies shoidd be very short ; one or two lines are sufficient : they are pasted upon thin pieces of wood, to preserve them. The copies give examples of large or small letters, and of words written in large or small hand, or in running hand.