February, '11] discussion: teaching methods 81 



ciples of forestry; if, on the other hand, he has an idea that he would 

 prefer to study the insects that attack fruit and ornamental trees, it 

 is the principle of the head of the department to suggest that he take 

 some work along the line of horticulture. If the student wishes to 

 make a special study of insects in their relations to diseases, then a 

 medical course is prescribed, etc. 



In addition to some of the other general requirements of the special 

 student in the department of entomology in the University of Nebraska 

 and which have already been referred to, it has always been insisted 

 by us that he should learn report writing, proof reading, editing, etc.; 

 in fact, he should learn to act as a sort of private secretary to the 

 entomologist by taking dictation and writing many of the economic 

 and other letters of the department. He is also utilized at times 

 throughout the several years of his college course as laboratory 

 instructor, librarian, breeding-cage overseer and to perform such 

 other matters as incidentally come up from time to time in the depart- 

 ment, including ''janitor work, bottle washing, and cooking," as one 

 student remarked not long ago. 



Fortunately in Nebraska it has been possible for the jjrofessor who 

 is also the state entomologist to turn some of the special funds which 

 have been appropriated by the State Legislature from time to time, 

 for his use in fighting insects, so as to put them into the hands of these 

 special students by engaging them to assist in the various kinds of 

 field investigations that come up from time to time as well as to pay 

 them for some of the time allotted to the various activities, mentioned 

 above. In this manner it was and is possible to keep the student 

 occupied in entomological work during the summer vacation. While 

 perhaps not giving him as much income as he might obtain from other 

 employment, the continual coming in contact with matters entomo- 

 logical in part compensates him for the shortness of the pecuniary 

 compensation. 



President Sanderson: The discussion will be led by Dr. Smith. 



Mr. J. B. Smith: Mr. President and Gentlemen: I think we all 

 appreciate the difficulty of discussing this series of papers, where 

 almost every phase of the subject has been treated very thoroughly. 

 There seems to be one agreement on the part of all who have taken 

 up the subject, and that is, the desirability of laboratory work, and 

 as muchof it as is possible; and the marvel to me has been, as I have 

 listened to the papers, where in the world the time comes from for 

 college students to do all that is expected of them. Now, I will admit 

 that so far as my teaching is concerned, I have never been able to 

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