CONVENTION OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 713 



show the difficulties encountered in such work. The San Jose scale 

 has been found to be quite widely disseminated in the State. As a rule 

 left-over stock is more likely to be infested than the newer stock. 

 Uniform laws and systems of inspection are much to be desired. 



In discussing this subject J. B. Smith said that he considered the 

 inspection of nursery stock a most unsatisfactory duty. His experience 

 had been that the certificates of inspection were worthless, and he 

 would be glad to see the system done away with and written guaranties 

 of nurserymen substituted. W. G. Johnson gave an account of the 

 success attending the inspection work and hydrocyanic-acid gas treat- 

 ment in Maryland. The discussion was participated in by a number 

 of others, the general opinion apparently being that inspection certifi- 

 cates are not reliable. 



SECTION ON ENTOMOLOGY. 



Ill the section on entomology a paper was read by C. M. Weed on 

 The relation of nature studies in the schools to the biology of the col- 

 lege curriculum. This paper discussed briefly the historical develop- 

 ment of the study of the natural sciences in American schools and 

 colleges, showing the advance in the last 50 years. 



SECTION ON MECHANIC ARTS. 



The first paper read in this section was by O. L. Waller, entitled 

 What shall be the character of the preparatory work required to 

 enter four-year engineering-degree courses? By a vote of the section 

 this paper was selected to be read in the general session (see p. 708). 



A paper on Engineering standards and land-grant colleges, by W. H. 

 Williams, was read by the secretary. 



F. P. Anderson gave a brief account of tests which are being made 

 at the Kentucky College of the hauling power and fuel consumption of 

 locomotives. 



The preceding account shows very clearly that by far the larger por- 

 tion of the time of the convention was devoted to the consideration of 

 questions of college policy and methods of teaching. The number of 

 technical papers dealing with experimental methods and the results 

 of investigation was relatively small as compared with previous con- 

 ventions. The fact, however, that the convention voted decisively, in 

 its action on revision of the constitution, against making the Associa- 

 tion purely administrative in function would indicate that there is no 

 abatement of its interest in investigational methods and results and 

 no purpose to neglect this feature of its work. 



