As already stated, Secretary Adams expressed the hope that an improvement of the public schools would result in the extinction of many of the private schools and the academies. Secretary Adams was not an enemy of the academy, as such, but strongly opposed the continuance of a system of schools under which effective supervision could not be applied, which rendered the common schools inferior, which tended to keep down the ratio of attendance, and which, over all, served to dissipate and misapply both private and public funds, if not also the vast energies of large bodies of pupils and teachers. The objection to the academy was that "it had never been free." With equal cogency and force the argument was applied to the two colleges and one military school existing in the State, and on page 135, report of 1863, we find him saying: "And during all this time more Vermonters have graduated from Dartmouth, Cambridge, Amherst, Williams, Yale, and Union than from both these institutions together," referring to the Vermont University and Middlebury College. But these quotations, suggesting the academy as the supply of teachers for the common schools, crediting the academy as the source of instruction for the county, town, and State institutes, admitting large bodies of graduates from these academies as both entering and graduating from our best colleges, and practically admitting that the graded system of public schools, if at all prosperous, must get its start and maintenance in what these academies are and were-all these things may certainly be employed to mark the value of the early academies in the educational work of the State.

Passing over the reports of 1868-69, rendered by Secretary A. E. Rankin, and in which no mention is made of an academy, barring a few statistical summaries, we come to the report of 1870, prepared by Secretary J. H. French, up to date the fullest report in the series. On page 158 Mr. French calls attention to the fact that statistics had not been returned by academic institutions, although the law required such returns from trustees on or before the 1st day of April in each year. It also appears that the secretary was unable to find a list of the educational institutions in the State in the archives of his office, or the materials from which to prepare one. "In the month of September" (1870), he writes, "I issued a circular to town superintendents asking for the names of incorporated academies, principals, number of pupils and teachers employed last year" (1869-70). One hundred and eightyfive superintendents replied, and the opinion was expressed that, as the 56 towns not replying were small and located in sparsely settled sections of the State, every town having an academy had been heard from. The number of academies and their distribution by counties were as follows: Addison County, 3; Bennington County, 5; Caledonia County, 6; Chittenden County, 9; Essex County, 1; Franklin County, 7; Grand Isle County, 2; Lamville County 3; Orange County, 7; Orleans County, 12; Rutland County, 4; Washington County, 6; Windham County, 7; Windsor County, 5; total, 77; reporting an

attendance of 3,428 pupils. But 42 academies of this number made no returns. The estimated attendance upon all is placed at 6,000.

Since 1870 the superintendents of education have made biennial reports. In his report for 1872, page 266, Mr. French gives a list of 56 academies, but no other important notice of the subject is taken. In his report for 1874 Mr. French says on page 285:

Of the 87 schools of these classes in operation in the State the past year, reports were received from but 26.

It seems that the board of education had no official connection with these institutions and could not compel them to make returns. Subjoined is given an epitomized statement of all interesting facts that bear upon this subject. The returns are evidently uncertain and incomplete; but, so far as they go, it would seem that a quarter of a century ago the academic attendance was about 50 per cent of the general enrollment, the number of pupils pursuing common-school and higher English branches about evenly divided, and the number of pupils actually in school with a view to entering college was about 8 per cent of the total. This seems to demonstrate reasonably well the public rather than the private character of their work.

Statistics of twenty-six academic institutions for year ending March 31, 1874.

Of the 129 teachers in these 26 academies 48 were males and 81 females, and 75 of them reported their intention to make teaching a profession. Thirty-six of these teachers had attended a college, and 15 a normal school. It is also to be noticed that with few exceptions

the principals of these institutions had had charge thereof for periods of less than two years. The exceptions were the following prominent educators: J. S. Spaulding, LL. D., had at this time seen twenty-two years of service as principal of the Barre Academy; Judah Dana, A. M., seven and one-half years as principal of the Rutland High School; Capt. A. E. Leavenworth, six years as principal of the Beeman Academy; Rev. R. G. Williams, five years principal of the Castleton Seminary. Of the 3,578 pupils enrolled 1,832 were males, 1,746 females, and 413 of these pupils were reported to be common-school teachers in attendance upon the academies. The subjects of study pursued during the preceding year are given on page 291 of the Educational Report for 1874. As a fair illustration the list of the People's Academy at Morrisville may be taken: "Common English, algebra, geometry, physiology, philosophy, physical geography, civil government, drawing, rhetoric, Latin, Greek, French, and music."

German was taught at the Black River Academy, Rutland High School, and St. Johnsbury. At the Burr and Burton Seminary painting and telegraphy were included in the course of studies, and at the Rutland County Grammar School Butler's Analogy and Paley's Natural Theology. In all the better class of schools the lists included, also, surveying, astronomy, history, botany, English literature, and mental and moral science.

Statistics of twenty-six academic institutions for the year ending March 31, 1874.

Of these twenty-six institutions, nine made no report in the matter of apparatus for illustrating the sciences, eight reported apparatus as being "fair," "very poor," or "barely tolerable." The apparatus of nine was said to be "good," as follows: Barre, Beeman, Black River, Burr and Burton, Essex, Goddard, Londonderry, Rutland, St. Johnsbury. The following academies reported cabinets of specimens: Barre, geology, 1,000; Beeman, geology and zoology, 300; Black River, geology and mineralogy, 125; Bradford, geology, 200; Burr and Burton, geology and zoology, 1,000; Northfield, unclassified, 500; Rutland County Grammar School, geology, 2,000; St. Johnsbury, mineralogy, 300; Springfield, unclassified, 1,000. Other statistical matters of interest were reported, but all are of only relative value in the absence of completeness and because of the evident estimated character of the returns. The total receipts, $44,207, were derived, from tuition fees $15,960, from all other sources $28,247. The annual income from State funds was small: Barton, $80; Bradford, $90; Burr and Burton, $72; North Bennington, $332; Northfield, $400. It is clear that the report in this matter is very imperfect. The annual income from permanent funds was as follows: Beeman, $685.20; Bradford, $212; Burr and Burton, $1,500; Essex, $600; Perkins Academy, $700; Lyndon, $150; Rutland County Grammar School, $300; St. Albans Academy, $250; total, $4,397.20. The libraries of these academies, so far as reported, were given a value of $4,810; the apparatus, $5,050; the cabinets, $1,600, and all other property, exclusive of grounds and buildings, $13,600; total, $25,060.

The following institutions were reported to be in debt in 1874: Barre Academy, $2,000; Burr and Burton Seminary, $1,250; Derby Academy, $800; Goddard Seminary, $10,000; Lyndon Institute, $1,000; North Bennington Graded School, $1,000; Rutland County Grammar School, $8,000; total, $24,050.

The reports of 1876, 1878, and 1880, made by Superintendent Edward Conant, father of the Vermont normal schools," continue the statistical summaries instituted by Mr. French, but make no effort to renew the attempt of his predecessor in the matter of academic histories. To the incorporated academies of the State, past and present, and to the select schools, this tribute is paid on page 15, report of 1876:

The cause of education owes much to both classes of schools.

No special mention of academies other than in the statistical tables occurs in the four reports of Superintendent Justus Dartt or in the report of Superintendent Edwin Palmer for 1890. Mr. Dartt, however, page 8, report of 1882, directs attention to the fact that 70 academies had been reported as existing in the State in 1857; that since that period academies had given place to graded schools, a condition considered by him as a general improvement.

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It is not at all likely that complete and reasonably correct statements of the attendance upon the State academies, or even the number of academies existing during any given year in the State, will ever be sought for or ascertained. When public officials, by the direction of statutory provisions, have sought to obtain this information and failed, it can scarcely be expected that private enterprise will succeed. But it is perhaps worth while to bring together in condensed form such information upon these subjects as the existing reports furnish. Nor is it likely that these figures will overstate the actual facts if they were known. Some of the larger and more fruitful schools can supply full and correct records, but these are more properly referred to special histories than to a general summary.

The estimated attendance upon academies and select schools in the report of 1847 is placed at 3,000; in that of 1848 at 2,940-that is 3 per cent of the estimated school population. This was probably an insufficient conclusion, as in 1857 the same item is reported as 5,499 in 149 select schools. In the report for 1860 mention is made of 491 select schools, with an attendance of 7,711 pupils. For the years 1860-1870 the number of academies reported as existing in the State were, respectively, 69, 71, 84, 64, 66, 66, 60, 58, 58, 36, and 59. The attendance during these eleven years upon select schools (and no distinction is here clearly drawn between academies and select schools) is given as 7,711, 7,785, 7,121, 7,400 (2), 7,884, 7,294, 6,004, 9,264, 8,755, 7,034, and 6,640. No analysis or division of these figures can be safely made, although it may be said that of 77 academies reported by town superintendents in 1870, 42 were said to have an enrollment of 3,428 pupils. The following items are from the State reports, and are brought together for what they are worth, being the total statistical information for those years. It was observed by Mr. Adams that in 1865, when Vermont reported 66 academies, and this number was doubtless too small, Massachusetts reported only 59 academies.

In 1872 and 1894 the number of academies was reported as 56 and 87, respectively. From this time on the superintendents confined their tabulations in the main to incorporated academies only. Gradedschool systems were classified by themselves. The following partial summary may be of value:

The following table is transferred from the excellent school report

of State Superintendent Edwin F. Palmer for 1890: