SCIENCE IX SECONDARY SCHOOLS 157 



In botany, as has been indicated, there is wide divergence, but 

 it can readily be seen that the tendency is away from the evolu- 

 tionary type method. It is also quite evident that there is as yet 

 no settled conviction as to what should take its place. In zoolog}' 

 the insects are universally chosen for beginning the work and 

 receive the greater share of the time. There is not much .indica- 

 tion that the mammals are receiving a fair share of attention. If 

 economic importance and nearness to everyday experience are to 

 be controlling motives, then one would expect to see more time 

 given to studies of mammals. The reports show on the whole 

 considerably greater uniformity of practice than with botany. 



The reports upon physics and chemistry did not give much of 

 value on the first question so far as concerns this paper, and no 

 tabulation of this portion has been made. The reports on the 

 second question show almost unanimous agreement in giving the 

 experiments a practical bearing and, and in the case of chemistry, 

 in introducing many experiments with substances used in the 

 home. Questions were sent out for physiography, but the re- 

 ports did not seem to have much bearing on the question under 

 discussion and have not been tabulated. It is fair to say for those 

 making reports that it was found necessary to condense the re- 

 ports as much as possible for use in the tables. Some of the 

 reports were quite extensive and deserving of publication in their 

 complete form if space had permitted. 



Considering the reports as a whole, it will be seen that there is 

 a decided tendency toward emphasizing the aspects of each sub- 

 ject that come wnthin the experience of the pupils in ever\'day 

 life. In some cases it seems to have been carried to excess, 

 notably with tree studies in some courses in botany, and possibly 

 in some of the courses in chemistry. The important principles 

 of each subject should never be lost sight of, no matter what 

 course is given, and I judge that there is danger of this in some 

 cases. The movement, however, seems to be a healthy one on 

 the whole and for the good of science insofar as it appeals to a 

 greater interest on the part of pupils and their parents. That it is 

 a progressive movement, in which some schools have made much 

 greater progress than others, is also evident, and what we should 

 expect and wish for. 



I shall now take up my second topic, namely, the relation of 

 the pure and applied sciences in high schools where both are 

 taught. There are practically only two applied sciences which 

 have been incorporated in high school curricula to such an extent 



