PLACE OF BOTANY IN EDUCATION 15 



since all knowledge comes to us through the senses 

 and by reasoning upon what they teach, training is 

 necessary in the accurate use of these, and in draw- 

 ing correct conclusions from their evidence, an induc- 

 tive discipline best yielded by the Natural Sciences. 

 Second, there is Number and its properties and rea- 

 soning thereon, largely deductive, which is the prov- 

 ince of Mathematics. Third, there is Communication, 

 involving expression ; that is, Language. Fourth, there 

 is relationship with other men, expressed in History 

 and Political Economy. Now it would seem to be 

 the duty of a good system of Education to give fair 

 attention to all of these. But in fact, what is the 

 case ? As a fair index of what is generally regarded 

 as important in Education to-day, we may take the 

 entrance requirements of the large colleges. With 

 few exceptions, these give the first and preponderating 

 place to Languages, and among these it is not the 

 one the student speaks that is made of most account, 

 but two or three foreign ones. The second place is 

 given to Mathematics. The third is given to a little 

 History, which, however, is not of a kind to throw 

 any light upon the constitution of affairs to-day, but 

 is generally entirely ancient. Usually there is no 

 fourth place, and if there is, it is given to a small 

 amount of one of the Sciences timidly admitted as a 

 partial alternative for one of the several Languages. 

 Nor can the colleges claim that this does not repre- 



