A knowledge of natural history is like a few bushels of grain gratuitously placed in his barn; but the art of ready reckoning is the plow which will remain by him for years, and help him to draw out from the soil a new treasure every year of his life.
The great object, then, of the common schools in our country is to teach the whole population to read, to write, and to calculate.

In fact, so essential is it that the accomplishment of these objects should be secured, that it is even a question whether common schools should not be confined to them.

I say it is a _question_, for it is sometimes made so, though public opinion has decided that some portion of attention, at least, should be paid to the acquisition of additional knowledge.

But, after all, the amount of _knowledge_ which is actually acquired at schools is very small.

It must be very small.