APRIL 19, 1901.] 
liberal acceptance of the sciences is more 
common in the Central and Western than 
in the Kastern States. 
The limits of my time will not permit 
even a summary of the preparation called 
for by the above-mentioned colleges, and it 
must suffice to say that this ranges from 
requirements little more than nominal up 
to some which are satisfactory in plan and 
scope. One characteristic which most of 
them show isa great liberality in the details 
of preparation, amounting in some cases 
practically to the acceptance of any good 
course. All this indicates a very undiffer- 
entiated condition of botanical teaching 
among us, a fact which, along with its 
many drawbacks, has at least this advan- 
tage from our present point of view, that 
it will be much easier to secure the adop- 
tion of a standard course than would be 
the case if the teaching were more differen- 
tiated. Although the preparation required 
appears at first sight to be very different for 
the different colleges, closer study shows 
that there are many common features, and 
these will form the natural and excellent 
foundation for the new course. 
The ideal position for botany in the 
entrance curriculum, indeed the position 
towards which it seems in the most pro- 
gressive institutions to be tending, is this : 
any college which requires any number of 
particular subjects should require a science ; 
every college should accept as options 
enough of the sciences to allow a student 
thus to utilize four years of thorough high- 
school work in the sciences ; botany should 
be included among these sciences ; the pre- 
paration should be of such a character that 
it will yield a training fully equal to that 
afforded by any other subject studied for 
the same length of time, and will admit 
the student to second courses in college. 
It will be agreed, I think, that the for- 
mulation and successful working of a 
standard entrance option is a matter of 
SCIENCE. 
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much importance to us. But no such 
course can be formulated, much less brought 
into use, unless all teachers approach it in 
a friendly and cooperative spirit, each 
willing to yield some of his own individual 
views for the sake of the common good. It 
must be in the nature of a compromise, 
though it is by no means necessary that it 
shall represent a composite of all existent 
views. It must of course be elastic enough 
to allow full play to individual methods 
and the use of any good text-books, and 
must be standard in its framework rather 
than in its details. It will of course be 
binding upon no one, and must make its 
way, if at all, by its merits ; and it will be 
liable to minor changes in the future, based 
upon trial and scientific advances. Colleges 
would naturally first adopt it as an alter- 
native to their own systems. Hspecially it 
should face squarely the issue of providing 
a course equal in training value to the other 
subjects, for by this test botany, and the 
other sciences, must be judged, and stand 
or fall in the educational system. 
With full faith in the possibility of pre- 
paring such a course, I would ask the 
Society : 
1. Does a standard or uniform college 
entrance option in botany seem desirable ? 
2. Does it seem possible of attain- 
ment ? 
If the answer to these questions is in the 
affirmative, I would propose: 
a. That a committee of three be appointed 
by the president before the close of this 
meeting, with power to open communica- 
tion in the name of the Society with col- 
leges, examination boards and individual 
teachers upon this subject, and to take such 
steps as their judgment approves towards 
formulating and securing the adoption of 
such an entrance option. 
b. That the committee make the attempt 
to secure an option nationally acceptable, 
but if this be found impracticable, then it 
