88 



. 1 sill 11(1(1 III iiiii-iciill iirnl cniirxc. 



Classification of studies. 



The scientific way of teaching should he to have the fundamentals first, early 

 in tiie course, so the others can follow them. In this "standard course in agri- 

 culture " I hav(> placed the elementary sciences in the first two years of the agri- 

 cultural course. The idea is to i)lace hotany on the same basis as chemistry. 

 I can not see why chemistry should mono])olize the agricultural student any 

 more than hotany. Botany is an elementary scien<-e, om- of the t'uii<l;imental 

 sciences of agriculture, it seems to me. if .nnything is. Botany should licgin the 

 first year. I pl.-ice .-ill of the elementary sciences on the same basis. I h;ive 

 therefore given hotany. chemistry. ]»hysics, zoology, .geonn'try. and trigo- 

 nometry (mathematics) each 100 hours. Knglish 100. and modern languages IHO 

 hours. This adds up for the freshman year as follows: Culture. l'."0 ; i)ure 

 science, jjtK); applied science. nothin.g; total. T."0 hours. 



In the sojihoniore year we continue these elementary scienc(>s linlany. loo; 

 chemistry. 100; geology. 100; physiology. 100; agronomy (i)articularly climate, 

 soil. etc.). 50; plant prop.-igation. .")0 : Knglish. loo: modern l:inguages. loo. and 

 drawing. .10 hours, making in .all the total of 7."0 hours. This is sulidivided, 

 showing culture. "-'."lO : pure science, loo. We now just begin the economic or 

 aiijilied sciences — 100 hours. 



The student now has his foundation work for an agricultural cour.se. Why 

 give elementary A B (' work up in the Junior and senior years? Why not bring 

 them hack into the first twt) years? It may he a great deal of pure science. At 

 the same time tliese sciences go hand in hand ; a great many things in <»ne sub- 

 ject dovetail into another after the student has finished the pure sciences. Now, 

 what shoidd be required in the agricultural cckurse? Our agricultural men 

 shoidd have certain broad ideas of .•igricidtnre. Agriculture to-day is a broad 

 sultject. If a man is an :igriculturist he ought to know not only agronomy and 

 animal husb:iiidry. but general agriculture. Therefore, as shown in the acconi- 



