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who examines intelligently the work of this School will
withhold his testimony to its value.

It is due to the object of this department, and to the
public spirited citizens who supervise it, to ask the attention
of the General Assembly, especially of those interested in
mechanic arts, to its claims to an appropriation by which the
proper facilities can be procured for more extended use-
fulness.

Between 300 and 400 young persons are taught to draw,
having special regard to those branches of the art which are
connected with the practical demands of architecture, ship
building, furniture and machinery.

Young women perfect themselves in branches available for
their own support, connected with photography, designs for
embroidery, patterns for goods, and illustrations for serial
publications.

The Schools are most strictly "Schools for the people"
and as such have a strong claim for a small portion of the
money devoted by the State to educational purposes. This
can be done by devoting to the Institute Schools the appro-
priation of $3,000 declined by the School of Letters of the
University of Maryland.

The improved style of architecture in edifices public and
private throughout the State, is due in a great degree to the
School of Design; many young men now employed in. the
Public Departments in Washington, and in private offices as
draughtsmen, attribute their skill to the instruction received
under the auspices of the managers of the Institute.

GRADED SCHOOLS.

Every practical teacher knows and regrets the time lost in
our rural Schools, because of the various ages and equally
varied attainments, of the children who occupy the benches.
Boys and girls, young and old, from the alphabet clasa up
to Natural Philosophy and Geometry, form a chaotic mass out
of which the teacher is expected to produce something which
may be called order.

To a skilled teacher the task is not impracticable, if he
has the proper assistance, and the ordinary conveniences of
a School-room. But the larger portion of teachers, discour-
aged by irregular attendance and the multiplicity of classes
give up in despair and adopt the old routine, and get through
with hearing instead of teaching lessons.

To aid those who experience these difficulties, and encour-
age them to persevere, a table of Studies has been prepared.
It divides the children into classes according to their attain-
ments, and fixes the degree of knowledge required for ad-
vancement. This plan has been adopted in Calvert County by