intendent to enforce its rules, inspect the schools, and counsel with them, I know of no sure and safe way to lift the country school out of its present inefficiency.

A year ago we began the agitation in this county. We conducted over fifty meetings, besides using other methods to get the matter before the people. We are more than gratified with the success. Enough sentiment has been worked up to insure its adoption sooner or later. There is scarcely a man in the county who does not rapidly fall in when the actual facts to the proposed changes are submitted.

SUB-DISTRICTS.

The sub-district organization too is a most harmful agency. It fosters local strife, favoritism and discord. We wish the time would come when each township could be made independent, and with a board who act as one man upon all questions, and not one man acting as a board upon most questions as we now find it. The cutting up of townships into independent districts makes too many officers, does not cure the local strife drawback, and is in fact a failure.

ELECTION OF COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT.

Is it not a strange condition of things that the position of city superintendent should be filled with men averaging twenty-five per cent more in ability than our county superintendents over the State? and this too in an office of less responsibility. It all comes from the pernicious manner of election. City boards choose from school men any where in the United States. The county chooses from party lines inside of the county. The former hunts for ability, the latter for availibility. The one goes into office free to act, the other weighed down with party prejudices. I realize that I am saying nothing new on these points, but to bring about these changes it is necessary to keep talking. You must excuse this lengthy discussion, but as a matter of fact there is more room for discussion under the head of general remarks" than under the specific points given to discuss.

MUSCATINE COUNTY.

BY G. W. COVERSTON.

In reply to your request I beg leave to submit the following report of the schools of Muscatine county:

I. The schools of Muscatine county are in a fair condition, and gradu

ally improving. The people are becoming more interested in the work. The Muscatine, West Liberty and Wilton schools were never before up to their present standard.. The indications are that the coming year we will make great advancement "all along the line."

II. a. Organize August 8th, and continue two weeks. (I have no record to show when the first institute was organized in this county.) b. We are nɔt seeking to make the scholars, but are seeking to make teachers from scholars. c. Teachers will do the work in institute that will be required of them in the school room. d. General, forms and methods; special, great effort will be put on the primary work. e. 1, too much subject matter taught; 2, too often the instructors shoot over the teachers; 3, the work done in institute is not that required in the schools; 4, the teachers take these difficult things-these exceptions to rules, and try to teach them before their pupils know the simple things. (We have ten failures in the primary work to one in the more advanced. We are going to try to strike at the root of the evil.)

III. a. Wood in most rural district; brick in all others. b. Heating in Muscatine city is done by steam; in all other schools, is done by furnaces or stoves; lighting, by windows at back or sides of room. c. Larger buildings have ventilators in the wall; others ventilate by stove, door and windows; d. The old desks are giving way to the best patent seats.

IV. a. As a general thing our school-houses are well located as to ground, and have fine school yards. b. Out-houses not generally well cared for. c. Fences generally in fair condition. d. Plenty of trees in nearly all yards, except where the soil has not been favorable to their growth.

V. a. From six to ten months; average, eight and one-half months. b. Salaries from $20 to $150 per month; average, about $38 per month. c. In the ungraded schools all the common branches, and frequently bookkeeping and algebra. d. 1, 2, In Muscatine, special teacher in penmanship and drawing is employed; in other schools, the teachers are paying considerable attention to this part of the work; 3, vocal music is not taught as it should be; 4, hygienic physiology is taught, in compliance with school laws of 1886. VI. I think that we need a course of study for the State; that pupils should do a certain amount of work before they are promoted. Our great effort next year will be in the primary grade. I want to have the work for that grade definitely outlined.

O'BRIEN COUNTY.

BY DAVID ALGYER.

O'Brien may be considered as one of the youngest counties of Iowa, and little was done on the line of school work until 1873. Then the county was visited by the grasshopper scourge, and as a result a changing, moving population made it impossible to have our schools organized with any degree of permanency or system, until about the year 1879, when the county began to be settled by a class that "came to stay," and a healthy growth from that time to the present has developed an earnest demand for a thoroughly organized school system for the county.

A course of study for the ungraded schools was prepared by the present County Superintendent, and has aided very materially in systematizing the school work of the county, which now employs one hundred and ten wideawake, enthusiastic teachers. We are striving to make the schools of our county as efficient as possible.

Our teachers' normal institutes are always organized according to a carefully prepared course of study, and we try to so classify and arrange the work as to meet the requirements of every teacher. We are seeking to make the normal institute a thorougly practical school of methods, and to arouse a deep interest and hearty enthusiasm among teachers and school officers. Every teacher is required to perform a certain amount of class work daily, and we have no use for the instructor who wishes to occupy the time in what is called the " lecture method." There can be no development of the faculties of the teacher without individual effort. We have no hobbies in institute work, but believe that the study of the English language ought to be emphasized.

The normal institute, if not properly controlled, becomes a vehicle that carries many damaging influences, and one incompetent instructor can make the work of an institute a failure.

Our school-houses are constructed according to the latest and most approved plans, very well arranged for heating, lighting and ventilation, but in some cases not properly seated, the seats not being of the required height. Our school grounds are very fine and kept in good condition, but not generally fenced, and some attention is given to the planting and culture of trees.

The length of term is generally seven months in ungraded schools and nine months in the graded schools.

Teachers' salaries as a rule are not sufficient to induce good talent to remain in the work, and hence each year a large number of inexperienced workers are employed. In addition to the branches required by law, we have bookkeeping and primary algebra taught in some districts. More time ought to be given to penmanship, drawing and vocal music. We are making special effort to have hygienic physiology taught in a thorough manner. The crying evil of our Iowa school system is the disjointed relation of school officers. There must be a county board of education in every county, composed of one representative from each district, township, and independent district, before we can expect anything like system in our school work. All school officers, including county superintendents, should be elected at the spring elections, and for longer terms. I hope that our legislature will see the necessity of amending our school laws next winter, and trust that Iowa will continue to be the banner State for common schools.

OSCEOLA COUNTY.

BY W. J. REEVES.

I will call your attention to a few statistics compiled from the several secretaries' and treasurers' reports.

The number of ungraded schools in the county is 62. Number of graded schools 2. Number of teachers 99. Females 76. Males 23. The average compensation of the former being $32.56 and $41.36 of the latter. I wish to state here that there is no difference in wages between male and female teachers in our country schools. The apparent difference is owing to the fact that, most of the male teachers only teach during winter when wages are advanced from $3 to $5 per month in most townships. The high salaries paid the principals of our graded schools also help to make this differ

ence.

Number of persons between five and twenty-one years is 1,522. There being 756 males and 766 females.

The total enrollment during the year was 1,163, or only about 76 per cent of our school population.

The total number of school buildings is 63, valued at $39,260.

The value of apparatus is estimated at $2,464.

The number of trees planted on school-grounds is 482, of which 331 are in Sibley and Ashton.

The expenses of the several townships and independent districts is given below:

Making a total in the county of $6,570.49 for contingent expenses. $13,990.62 for teachers and $6,156.26 for school-houses, grounds, etc., which gives us the grand total of $26,717.37 as the cost of our schools for one year. I notice the salary paid secretaries and trustees varies from $45 in Wilson township to $140 in Ocheyedan township.

OUR COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

I am pleased to report these schools steadily on the advance. The teachers, as a class, are live, progressive and conscientious, seeming to realize the importance of their work and determined to do their best. Many of our summer schools are taught by young, inexperienced teachers, yet very satisfactory work was done. With one or two exceptions our winter schools are being taught by teachers of three or more years' experience in the work. Already the most flattering reports reach me of the efficiency of their work. In my visits I have endeavored to correct the impression that the superintendent is to be dreaded as a critical stranger whose chief object is to find fault.

The superintendent should be looked upon as a friend, with whom all school matters should be freely talked over, that he may better point out errors, and suggest improvements. The attendance in our county schools has not been what it should be, but the teachers are trying to correct this as much as possible.

OUR GRADED SCHOOLS.

While our country schools have been progressive, this is especially true of our graded schools, where a sufficient salary is offered to secure the best teaching talent. Sibley may well be proud of her schools. It is no flattery to say they compare very favorably with any similar schools in the northwest.

The work of the fall term just closed has been thorough and very satisfactory. An excellent course of study with rules and regulations for the