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significant fact. The strength with which the tide of opinion 

 is setting in this direction, cannot have escaped the attention 

 of even the most unobserving. The frequent and earnest dis- 

 cussions as to the relative value of classical and scientific 

 studies ; the pressure on the Colleges to replace the classics 

 with studies of a more practical character ; the disposition of 

 some of them to acquiesce ; the numerous institutions, more or 

 less distinctively scientific, rapidly springing up in all parts of 

 the country, and the frequent engrafting of schools of science 

 on the existing literary institutions ; in England the parliamen- 

 tary commissions on the state of the schools and universities, 

 with their significant reports ; and in this country, the enact- 

 ments of Congress, and of State Legislatures, in behalf of 

 Colleges for the promotion of agriculture and the mechanic 

 arts, are all so many unmistakable signs that on this subject 

 a great revolution is going on, not only in the general public 

 sentiment, but also in the minds of educated and influential 

 men. It is obvious that the programmes of education for 

 American youth in the future are to be different from those of 

 the past. The demand for more science is imperative, and 

 cannot be ignored. 



This demand has obviously arisen, partly from the rapid 

 development of the Sciences in recent times, and the conse- 

 quent extension of the boundaries of human knowledge ; and 

 partly from the growth of the Arts with advancing civilization, 

 and the consequent demand for new applications of Science in 

 .aid of these Arts, and of the general operations of industry. 



It is to the first of these considerations that we are to ascribe, 

 chiefly, the call for more Science in our systems of liberal 

 education, and to the second, the demand for schools of applied 

 Science, and a more practical education generally. 



