158 



Special requirements for admission must be met. To read, 

 to write and to cipher, will not be enough. The college will 

 have a right to expect its young men and young women to 

 have a fair training in the common English branches, and to 

 have some knowledge of plant life, of insect life, helpful and 

 harmful, of the elements of the soil, of gardening, a fair 

 knowledge of the fruits and trees of their home land. This 

 knowledge to be universal in the Territory cannot be left for 

 the home to impart, but must be given by the schools. These 

 questions are of as great educational value as any subject 

 studied and of far greater practical value than many subjects 

 taught, llie presence of the college will be a great stimulus 

 to all scientific study in our secondary schools. So soon as 

 the general requirements for admission are faid down by the 

 Regents and the new faculty, at once the duty of all the sec- 

 ondary schools will be to furnish coursed of study to meet these 

 requirements so that the young people of our Territory may 

 speedily avail themselves of the tine opportunity the new col- 

 lege will ofifer. 



And yet the doors of the college ought not to be closed to 

 those whose privileges have been restricted and who are 

 mature students, to avail themselves of certain lines of re- 

 search in special work made possible by the college. Here 

 the college can offer a splendid opportunity for special stu- 

 dents. Young men and young women who wish to pursue 

 some special line of research, but whose academic preparation 

 does not fill the eeneral educational requirements for admis- 

 sion should have the privilege of entering to study their special 

 field. For instance, a young man may wish to study chemis- 

 try, to prepare himself to be a chemist upon a plantation, or 

 in the fertilizing- works. Given a fair general education, a 

 mind capable of grasping the subject wished, and a purpose to 

 do the work he wishes, the student should receive every en- 

 couragement that he may get the start he seeks. Or if some 

 one wished to stud}^ dairying or poultry-raising, veterinary, or 

 bacteriology, the chance should be given if certain conditions 

 are met. 



But I wish especially to emphasize one phase of the general 

 question. The new college cannot afford to set its requir'v 

 ments too low. Better to begin with five pupils well pre^ 

 pared, and keep the standard high than to begin with twenty- 

 five at a low entrance standard. I think it behooves the Board 

 of Regents to give a very clear statement of the requirements 

 for admission as regular students and the minimum require- 

 ment for special work, and the college will do well to em- 

 phasize the regular coarse and to discourage special course, 

 although there will always be a demand for the latter which 

 should be met. The ideal can not be too high. To start with 

 a high standard is easier than to raise that standard. And 



