and Laboratory Methods. 2355 



itable laws that govern health and creation ? If they are going back to the farm 

 is there any knowledge that will so enhance their country life as the knowledge 

 of the plants and animals ? And ought it not also to be of much practical or utili- 

 tarian value ? It certainly would be if rightly taught. 



Sixty-seven of one hundred twenty-six schools reporting meet the uni- 

 versity requirement in biology.^ There are four ways in which they do this. 



(1) Two of the sixty-seven give one year of botany and one-half year of 

 zoology. These schools require one semester's work in botany and allow the 

 student to choose either botany or zoology for the second semester. 



(2) Seven of the sixty-seven offer one year in botany and one year of zool- 

 ogy and usually allow the student freedom of choice. The student may then 

 have one full year of either, or one-half year of each. 



(3) Sixteen of the sixty-seven offer only one year of botany. 



(4) Forty-two of the sixty-seven offer one-half year of botany and one-half 

 year of zoology. 



Which shall the student choose when it is a matter of election ? Which 

 ought the officers to make compulsory, one year of botany, one year of zoology, 

 or one-half year of each ? A glance shows how the last question has been 

 answered, — the great majority of our schools prefer the combination. Why ? 

 In the mind of the writer there are good reasons to be given for both the choice 

 of the full year of continuous work in the one object, either botany or zoology, 

 and the choice of one-half year of each. The preparation and the taste of the 

 teacher must help to settle which should be given, for every true teacher must 

 give instruction only in what he can teach well and easily. As for educa- 

 tional value, it is true that the botanical material is easily handled and that it 

 lends itself wonderfully to the needs of careful observational and experimental 

 work and is, therefore, more readily used for purely mind training exercises. 

 But it does not connect itself so closely with the important subject of human 

 physiology, neither does it offer as many or clear illustrations of the theory of 

 development as the zoological material. Then, too, the little glance which the 

 student gets into the botanical and zoological fields even in but one year's work 

 gives, under good instruction, the wider horizon that is needed to interpret facts 

 and things in every day life ; to make intelligent the reading of the papers and 

 magazines and to give the impulse of future work along these lines to 

 the high school graduate who will not have the incentive of college life. 

 The ideal condition would be one full year's work of each, botany and zool- 

 ogy. Then if desired the zoology could be merged into human physiology in a 

 way that would make that subject full of life, thrilling with interest, and one of 

 the most important in the curriculum. For the sake, then, first, of laying a foun- 

 dation for human physiology; second, of inculcating the theory of development; 

 third, of giving a broad view of life, I belive both botany and zodlogy should 

 hold equal places in every high school course. 



The special plea for zoology given above is needed, not because it is more 



1 The university requirements in these sciences for entrance are : Botany : Laboratory 

 work for one school year ; or, Zoology : Laboratory work for one school year; or, Biology : one- 

 half year of botany and one-half year of zoology. 



