SCHOOL LIBRARIES.-It is the duty of every teacher to take active measures to increase the small school libraries which will be purchased with the ten per cent. of the State School Fund. Let the teacher, through the pupils, solicit donations of books from residents in the district. Let the pupils solicit contributions of small sums for the same purpose. We know of one small district where an active teacher secured, in contributions of fifty cents and a dollar, nearly one hundred dollars. There is hardly a district in the State where a live teacher cannot double the sum set apart by the State. Get up a good school exhibition, or May Festival: the people will pay their money cheerfully for such an object. The little district of Howland Flat, Sierra County, raised over one hundred dollars by a school exhibition. The Lincoln School, in this city, raised eight hundred dollars for a library, in the same way; and the Denman School an equal amount. Let teachers take hold of the matter in earnest.

REPORT OF STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.-The following is the Report for the four weeks ending March 29th, 1867:

STATE NORMAL SCHOOL PUPILS AS TEACHERS.-There has been an unusual demand upon this School for teachers, during the past few weeks. Not less than a dozen have left the past month for the interior counties to supply vacancies. Five went to Napa County in one installment, and since then, another demand has been made for several more; a call for three came this week from San Joaquin County: which counties long since recognized the merits of the State Normal. Most of these teachers are paid fifty dollars per month and board, while the munificent city of the Bay pays fifty without board, never giving a better evidence of its worth. Quite a number of applications have already been sent in to secure seats for the next term, to open July 8th.

Resident Editors' Department.

AMONG THE SCHOOLS.

SAN JOSE is to have a new schoolhouse, which will soon be erected at a cost of $15,000. The house is to be three stories high, with a large hall for assembly and lecture purposes in the third story. The city has long been in need of a good school building, and the less said about the old ones, the better. We visited the public schools in company with Mr. Hart, the City Superintendent. The "High School Class," so called, of 40 pupils, is taught by Mr. J. W. Reed, and presents a good appearance. The class is now in a transition state from a Grammar School to an English High School; and when the new house is completed, will probably shed its chrysalis, and appear as a full-blown High School. The Grammar School is taught by Mr. Morton, who has been engaged in the city schools for a number of years. We listened to several well-conducted recitations, which showed that the school was making good progress. The whole number of teachers employed is ten-three male and seven female teachers. The whole 'number of census children between five and fifteen years of age in San José, is 955; the average number belonging to school is 400; and the average daily attendance, 370. About 250 children attend private schools, principally at the Academy of Notre Dame and the San José Institute. The city expended last year, for school purposes, $10,122.00. All the public schools in San José are free schools. The San José Institute, Freeman Gates, Principal, is in a flourishing condition, with 160 pupils in attendance. Mr. Gates has secured a most excellent corps of teachers; he pays them good salaries, and as a result, has a well-taught and popular school.

SANTA CLARA. The school Trustees of this pleasant town have adopted plans for a new schoolhouse to be erected at a cost of $8,000. Such a house has been sadly needed for the past five years. The Santa Clara Grammar School, numbering 75 pupils, is taught by Mr. Hill, formerly of Mayfield, and Miss Julia P. Brigham, a graduate of one of the Massachusetts State Normal Schools. The boys and girls are seated in different rooms, but they recite together. The two Primary schools are crowded into a miserable little brick building, which would comfortably seat forty pupils, but which is made to hold over a hundred. Santa Clara has a Board of Education of six members, and a local Superintendent, under the provisions of a special school law. The Board is authorized to levy a school tax, annually, of one dollar on the hundred, without submitting the question to vote, which will enable the town to

secure a schoolhouse. The number of census children here, is 377-170 attend the public school, 125 the private schools, and 80 attend no school. The University of the Pacific contains its usual number of pupils, and there is a good prospect that it will soon be established in new buildings, and on a better financial basis. The Santa Clara College, one of the oldest institutions of the State, is well filled with students. The total expenditures of Santa Clara for public schools, last year, was $3,000. Santa Clara County contains forty-four school districts, and numbers 4,104 census children, ranking as the fourth county in the State. The rate of school tax levied, last year, was twenty-five cents; a few years ago, the rate was five cents. The total expenditure for school purposes, last year, was $35,000; in 1862, the amount was $17,000. The whole number of scholars enrolled on the public school registers, last year, was 2,390.; the average daily attendance, 1,578. Out of the forty-four districts, thirty-four maintained free schools, without any rate bills. The teachers of this county hold monthly meetings for the purpose of mutual improvement. The Association has the best County Teachers' Library in the State. The County examinations of teachers have been carefully and thoroughly conducted for several years past. The County Boards have set a high standard; and as a result, good teachers have generally been secured, and good salaries have been paid.

Mr. J. R. Brierly, the present County Superintendent, was appointed the deputy of Mr. Tonner when the latter went East, six months ago, and recently has been appointed to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Tonner. The loss of Mr. Tonner is very deeply felt. He held the office of County Superintendent for three years, and discharged the duties with fidelity and ability. The schools improved rapidly under his administration. His successor, Mr. Brierly, is a capable and faithful officer. The schools in this county are generally in good condition. Mr. Van Schaick has a fine school at Mountain View; Mr. Kennedy is teaching at Mayfield; Mr. Shearer has a flourishing school at Gilroy; Mr. Huntley is teaching in the Orchard district; Mr. Leyser, in Los Gatos; Mr. Foshay, at New Almaden; and Mr. McPherson, in the upper town school.

NEVADA COUNTY.-On the way to Grass Valley and Nevada City, we took a flying trip to Cisco, the terminus of the Central Pacific Railroad, plunged into snow ten feet deep, caught a glimpse of winter, returned, and reached Nevada City in a day of snow squalls. The public schools of Nevada have maintained a good reputation for a number of years. The High School, which numbers forty pupils, of both sexes, is taught by Mr. J. B. McChesney, who has won a high reputation as a thorough and successful teacher. The school has a beautiful geological and mineralogical cabinet; the order is good, and the recitations to which we listened, were well prepared. This school has furnished quite a number of young teachers for the county schools. The Intermediate School, taught by Mr. Powers, appeared well. The Primary School, in charge of Miss S. N. Jewett, is in all respects a model school. The colored school, numbering eighteen scholars, and taught by Mr. Cantone, was neat and orderly. This year, for the first time, the public schools were FREE for a term of five months. At the present time, the pupils all pay rate bills, ranging from

one to two dollars per month. Nevada, with a taxable property of one million of dollars, is well able to maintain free schools; and doubtless will soon raise, by local tax, the additional sum needed to put the schools on a solid American basis. The city needs, too, one good central schoolhouse. The present houses are barely comfortable, but neither convenient, nor well-arranged. Nevada numbers 572 census children; of which number, last year, 327 attended the public schools. Total amount of school expenditures for the year, $5,490.

GRASS VALLEY.-This town has one Grammar school, two intermediate or ungraded schools, and one Primary. The Grammar school, numbering 40 pupils, is taught by Mr. Welch, a professional teacher of twenty years' experience. One of the ungraded schools, taught by Mr. Potter, contains 75 pupils, crowded into a house designed to accommodate 40; the other was, for some time, in charge of Rev. Mr. Northup; but he was recently compelled to resign on account of ill-health, and his place is to be filled by Mr. Morse. A new schoolhouse is much needed, and will probably be erected during the year. The money used for building school houses, in both Grass Valley and Nevada has been appropriated from the county school fund; no local or special school tax, we believe, has ever been levied in either place. As a result of this policy, heavy rate bills are levied. This year, for the first time in Grass Valley, one of the schools was kept free for five months. With a taxable property of two millions, the city ought to maintain free schools for ten months in the year. There are ten or fifteen colored children here, and a school for them will soon be established by the Trustees. The number of census children here, is 774; of this number, 300, last year, attended the public schools; 269, the private schools; and 200, no school whatever. Total expenditures last year, $4,400. At the Allison Ranch, three miles from Grass Valley, there is a flourishing public school, numbering more than a hundred scholars. At Forest Springs, three miles from Allison's, Mr. B. J. Watson has been teaching a flourishing public school for three years past. Mr. Watson, who has recently resigned for the purpose of going East, has won a high reputation as a successful and popular teacher. At North San Juan, there is an excellent public school, taught by Mr. E. M. Preston, a young teacher of a very high order of ability. The Trustees, as a mark of their appreciation, have raised his salary from $100 to $125 per month. We regret that we have never been able to visit this school. Nevada County returns 2,980 census children-the largest number of any mining county in the State. The average number belonging to the public schools last year was 1,200; and the total enrollment, probably 1,500. The number attending private schools was 500, which would leave about 900 who did not attend school during the year. The total amount of school expenditures was $25,960 -of which amount $17,000 was derived from the county fund, and $4,500 from the State. Under a special Act for this county, the entire receipts from the sale of liquor licenses are paid into the school fund, and the amount derived from this source last year, was $10,000. The following is the Act, which we commend to the consideration of the legislators of other counties in the State. SECTION 1. All moneys derived from the sale of licenses for the vending of spirituous, malt, or fermented liquors, or wines, in quantities less than one quart, and all

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moneys derived from the sale of traveling merchants', hawkers' or pedlers' licenses in the County of Nevada, shall hereafter be transferred to the Common School Fund of said county, and shall be used and appropriated as a part of such Common School Fund, and for no other purpose whatever."

The rate of county school tax, for 1865, was thirty cents, and for 1866, twenty-seven cents. The county examinations of teachers are well conducted, and the Superintendent has set a high standard of qualification. The Report of the County Superintendent, Mr. M. S. Deal, last year, was, in all respects, a model one. In the Report of the State Superintendent for 1864, the County Superintendent was censured for returning no financial report. The fact was, we have since learned, his predecessor left his books in such condition that it was utterly impossible to make a financial report. We make the amende honorable, retract the censure, and relieve Mr. Deal, fully, from any imputation of neglect of official duty. He has made an efficient officer, and deserves credit for it.

SACRAMENTO.-Sacramento has good reason to be proud of her excellent High School. Under the former principal, Mr. R. K. Marriner, the school acquired a high reputation, which it continues to hold under the present principal, Mr. M. L. Templeton. The second story of a fine two-story brick schoolhouse is devoted to the High School, and the session room is one of the pleasantest in the State. The school numbers 40 pupils of both sexes, and the course of study is both English and classical. The discipline of the school is excellent, and the instruction thorough. The drill of the pupils in free gymnastics is excelled only by the class in the State Normal School. The Primary and Intermediate schools in the same building are filled to overflowing, and in excellent training. We regret that we could not spare the time to visit all the city schools. Sacramento City returned last year 2,113 census children; of which number, 1,458 were enrolled on the public school registers, and 264 reported in attendance on private schools, leaving only 391 not attending school. The total cost of schools last year, was $28,000. Under the careful management of the City Superintendent, Rev. William H. Hill, and good Boards of Education, the Sacramento schools have been brought to a high degree of excellence, and now stand second to none in the State. Sacramento County returned last year 4,384 census children, of whom 3,577 were enrolled on the public school registers. The total expenditures were $48,600. Of the sixty-three schools in the county, thirty-one were maintained as free schools. The County Superintendent, Dr. Hatch, has been four times elected to the office, and, altogether, has served nine years. He is a veteran in the service, and discharges his duties faithfully and efficiently. The Superintendent of the county is made, ex officio, a member of the State Board of Education, and the Board of State Normal School Trustees.

STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.-Prof. Bolander, Principal of the Cosmopolitan Public School, gave a lecture before the State Normal School on Thursday of last week, on the subject of "Botany." There are two large classes studying the subject in this school, under the charge of Miss Houghton; and as about