598 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 



mixtures for different results and should study cupola and air-fur- 

 nace operation for best product. 



In the smith-shop artistic forging should be excluded and the 

 student should learn not only simple forging, tool-dressing, and 

 heat-treatment of steel; but he should also be introduced in the 

 production of duplicate parts by drop-presses, and in the methods 

 used for the production and annealing of large forgings. 



This is not too high a standard for the shops of an engineering 

 school ; its realization will increase the value of the schools to prac- 

 tice and hence it will come. Obviously it involves great changes 

 in existing methods. Shop-talks and class-room work must supple- 

 ment actual work because so many principles are involved, and the 

 actual work must be greatly modified. Already many of the schools 

 have made a start in this direction. 



Drawing and Design. In drawing all art-work should be excluded, 

 and the student should learn to make neat and clear-dimensioned 

 sketches and accurate, well-executed working drawings with good 

 plain lettering. 



In machine design the theory has long been well taught; but 

 the modifications of design in response to the demands of practical 

 every-day considerations have usually been neglected. 



Experimental Work. The prime function of the undergraduate 

 mechanical laboratory is to teach men to test the efficiency of ma- 

 chines, the secondary function is to afford opportunity for research. 

 Many will object to this order because research is undoubtedly 

 the higher work. For a post-graduate laboratory the order would 

 be reversed; but for an undergraduate the thing of first import- 

 ance is to learn methods of testing. If in addition to that he is able 

 to catch something of the investigator's spirit it is fortunate; but 

 in most cases it will be but little; there is n't time. Moreover, the 

 investigator and the engineer belong to different classes. 



The engineer is he who conceives and materializes ideas that 

 help humanity harness nature for its use. The investigator is he 

 who extends the field of knowledge. This is not an absolute divi- 

 sion, for many engineers find out lacking facts for their own use, 

 and many investigators apply the facts they have determined; 

 but in general the classification holds. 



Once in a while there comes a student with the investigator's 

 spirit ; he is born to add to human knowledge. He is to be cherished 

 and encouraged; if he shows a tendency toward engineering work, 

 the brakes should be applied. The world has many engineers and 

 few investigators, and the few cannot be spared. 



The mechanical laboratory, although a comparatively recent 

 addition to the technical courses, is very efficient in most of the 

 schools. This is probably partly due to the fact that the induce- 



