PRACTICAL ENGINEERING.

A Colonial section of the Crystal Palace ; ' Company School of Pratical •Engineering is to commence operations in January. .^;Tl&e.real.;V^ , „ iinfe^e^frpm^theifaljii that it' is t^articvj^iyj^rgentiem^ to r proceed tp ; the, Colonies or abroad, as ex- ... ■plorersor,settlersviH The object proposed ".■> is to affordithem so much practical knew- »'; ledge- of scientific and mechanical work 1 ■ and expedients as shall enable them; best to' utilise the means with which they may .have to deal, especially when entirely dependent on their own resources. The course of instruction is most coinprehen- j sive, including surveying and levelling, drainage and rainfall, sounding and gauging, ijivers, testing flow of water through ,' pipes, ' streams, making watertanks, reservoirs, .and filter-beds, mechani,ca^. powers, moving heavy weights, making watei>!wh,eels and turbines, boring for water, vtube and. other wells, plans for ' rajsing^water,. pump-making, windmills, ventilation, sanitory arrangements, ropeinakihg, knots, and bends, shifts, and ex- - pedients of camp life. Growth of wood, ■ modes of clearing, felling, grubbing, &c, barking, seasoning, hand-sawing, sawmills and machinery, principles and con- " atruction of works in timber, calculation :of strains, strength of material, rough : carpen.tryi; joining, fencing, cart-wheel },<jmakingy glazing, roofing, and painting, v . charcoal-burning, pile-driving, brick and tile making, getting and. working stone, ; preparation of . lime,, mortars, cements - and concretes, : preparing slates, excavating -■ Bhif ting material, blasting, making gunpowder and guncotton, road-making, tentmaking, .. temporary . shelters. Mensuratiori, getting out quantities,: mineralogy, geology; general hints on metallurgy, &c, chemistry, moulding, general forging, production of blast for forges, horseshoemaking, treatment of steel and making -■tools, turning and , fitting, ri vetting and • .tank.wbrk, steam .and the steam-engine. . $te. .jbelieve.th'at the Crystal Palace schools occupy an important amteven a national position. In the- 'ladies' division alone there .were, last session, about 500 pupils, and these lady students included, it is interesting to note* some from Victoria, ; ■■■■- : Western Australia, and New South Wales, besides some from other Colonies. In effect,we have here a, true, ladies' Uniyer- ■ . sity, admirably, adapted to all the needs > .''Of the age, and one which bids fair to deyelope bye and-bye into a very great nanatipnaV institution. The course of instrution is most liberal,' including languages, literature, ! science; cookery, and domestic ; ec'bnqmy, and music ; and there are many special, advantages ; and truly useful featuresVaboutithe whole plan which have abready most deservedly rendered these schools essentially: popular, no less in the United Kingdom than in Australia itself. Among the professors we note the following :— Sir Jules Benedict, Herr Ernst Pauer, Mr E.. Prout, B. A. (music): Dr Heinemann,;]?.. It. S. (German) ; Signor Bizzelli; (singing), Miss Mary Hooper - (cookery),and many others of eminence in art and science.