Excerpt from Colton's Common School Geography

Tee constant and pressing demand for improved text-books on the subject of Geography has led to the preparation of this work. It is designed to afford all the information which the limited time allotted to this department of study in the Common Schools enables the pupils to acquire; and it distributes this information so that every part of the science may receive a proportionate degree of atten tion, the intelligence of the pupil be developed in the highest degree, and the best foundation laid for further acquisition. Every topic is, therefore, briefly treated, so as not to burden the mind of the student with unnecessary details.

The general principles of Physical Geography are presented as the ground-work of the whole; the great natural features of each grand division are carefully but briefly sketched, and all local descriptions made to illustrate and exemplify these general statements.

The descriptive geograph y of the United States, which, as treated in most books, exhausts the time and patience of the student with its almost endless repetitions, has been presented by sections instead of States, only the few salient features of the latter being given.

Areas and populations are introduced m the text, but are stated m round numbers, and according to the latest and most reliable local estimates, the object being, not to impart a knowledge of these facts with minute accuracy, but to give a just idea of the compara tive size of count1ies and cities, and thus prevent the formation of the absurd notions often derived from the study of those text-books that give no information of this kind except 1d statistical tables, which are rarely consulted.

The maps have been drawn and engraved specially for this work, and present the most authentic geographical information. They are clear, attractive 1n appearance, and not encumbered with minute details, calculated only to embarrass the learner, except the refer ence maps, which are very full and complete.

The illustrations may challenge competition with those of any other work of this kind published, being artistic 1d design and execution, and well calculated to give the most expressive and accurate ideas of the geographical features and localities which they are intended to represent. The large vignette engravings inserted at the head of the grand divisions were designed and executed by one of the best 111 tiste of the country especially for this work.

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