268 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 609. 



adapted to the use of the person studying 

 by himself.' Another method is that of 

 the University of Chicago, where students 

 may take part of their regular college 

 course at home. He can not, however, get 

 his degree without taking the balance in 

 residence. This plan offers few advan- 

 tages over the regular college course. The 

 only requirement necessary to become a 

 student of the International Corespondence 

 School is the ability to read the English 

 language and to write it sufficiently well 

 to be understood, or to possess the services 

 of some one capable and willing to trans- 

 late from the text-books and write out the 

 dictation in English of the foreign-speak- 

 ing student who is unable to use the Eng- 

 lish language. 



The text-books differ, even on the same 

 subject for the courses for which they are 

 to be used; not only on the method of 

 treatment, but principally in the examples 

 given and the illustrations cited. 



The author gives a number of reasons 

 why students do not complete their courses, 

 and also mentions cases of students who 

 admit deriving much benefit from the 

 course but who have never submitted an 

 examination paper for correction. Their 

 instruction has been obtained solely from 

 the bound volumes which were furnished 

 them when they enrolled. About 60 per 

 cent, of the students send in one or more 

 pieces of work. About two thirds of the 

 students pay in full for their courses. 

 While the present enrollment is a little over 

 900,000, the actual number of students is 

 probably 60 per cent of this, or 540,000. 

 During the year ending May 31, 1906, the 

 total number of pieces of work received 

 from students was 716,952, About one 

 sixth of the number of active students have 

 completed about one third or more of their 

 course as shown by the records. The num- 

 ber of students who have entirely com- 

 pleted their courses, passed their final ex- 



aminations and been awarded a certificate 

 or diploma was 12,143 on June 27, or about 

 2.6 per cent, of the total number of active 

 students. Between February 7 and April 

 21 the number of diplomas issued averaged 

 240 per month. The average for next year 

 is estimated as high as 300 per month, or 

 2,700 diplomas for the year from this one 

 correspondence school. As this number is 

 about the same as the number of engineer- 

 ing degrees conferred per annum by all 

 the technical colleges of the country, the 

 amount of work that this represents, and 

 the amount of education which is being 

 obtained can be somewhat appreciated. 



The social sides of the meeting were very- 

 well cared for by the committees of Cornell 

 University, and have been described in the 

 report of the general secretary. A special 

 excursion was tendered to the section by 

 the committee on Saturday afternoon in 

 the form of a steamboat ride on the steamer 

 Iroquois, down the lake, and which in- 

 cluded a visit to the Eemington Salt Works 

 near Ithaca. Here steam is generated and 

 used in steam engines for the generation 

 of electric power, and the exhaust steam is 

 used in the vacuum pans of the salt works. 

 A feature of the meeting which appealed 

 to every one was the delightful entertain- 

 ment accorded to the members in the houses 

 of the fraternities. Altogether the meeting 

 was most enjoyable and profitable, and 

 both the section and the Society for the 

 Promotion of Engineering Education de- 

 sire to extend their special thanks to the 

 trustees, the faculty and to the fraternities 

 who opened their houses at Cornell Uni- 

 versity. Wm. T. Magruder, 



Secretary. 



Ohio State Univebsity. 



SECTION G—BOTANY. 

 In accordance with arrangements pre- 

 viously made the section met on June 29 

 for the transaction of business and the dis- 



