hodge] COLLEGE BIOLOGY 195 



of contagious diseases? If they are to prepare high-school 

 teachers, is it not the duty of the college to do this? How better 

 could the great movement for American Health be effectually 

 advanced? 



Conservation of natural resources, next, presents the largest 

 civic problems, in the solution of which every intelligent citizen 

 must bear a part. This on the side of biological resources should 

 be understood to include not only conservation of forests with the 

 holding of soils and storing of water, but conservation of native 

 animals and plant species of mammals, birds, and fishes, even to 

 conservation of natural beauties of landscape and native plants 

 on account of purely aesthetic values. The way we have devasta- 

 ted forests and exterminated valuable species is a national dis- 

 grace and a crime against future generations. Forces and 

 motives of waste and destruction must be speedily reversed 

 toward general conservation, and this can only be done by 

 adequate education. Problems in this field may be illustrated 

 as follows : 



Seasons of flowering and ripening seeds in about 40 of our most im- 

 portant forest, nut and ornamental trees; together with methods of saving 

 storing and planting the seeds and rearing the trees. 



Function of forestry in controlling water flow and washing of soil. 



Outlawed weeds and poisonous plants. 



Native plants in danger of extermination. 



Common ferns. 



Elementary agriculture and horticulture. 



Common mushrooms, edible and poisonous. 



Common parasitic fungi, blights, smuts, rusts, mildews, locally im- 

 portant forms. 



Insects, life-histories and natural enemies of about 1 5 1 most important 

 species. 



Economic status and foods of about 100 birds. 



Common amphibia, natural history and value as destroyers of insects. 



Important fresh-water fishes, food, spawning seasons and habitats. 



The above is not put forward as a complete statement and it 

 is not intended that this entire body of knowledge shall be taught 

 during a possible one year's course in the high school. Much of it 

 must be taught in the nature-study of the grades. The high- 

 school course could finish out and especially give the civic and 

 national bearings and points of view. 



The college may do: (1) Nothing, and withdraw still fur- 

 ther from the main currents of American life. (2) Prepare its 



