May 9, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



729 



of great advantage to the practical side of 

 life. Our improved agriciiltural plants 

 may serve as an illustration. According 

 to Hays the produce of entire districts may 

 be increased ten per cent, by the careful 

 and repeated selection of seed. And these 

 results were reached by the aid of old 

 methods, applied during a few years only. 

 Plow great is the promise of the new 

 methods, with their larger prospects and 

 greater chances. 



Next to new races are new species. Let 

 this be the motto of science and practice 

 alike, for the welfare of agriculture as 

 well as for the welfare of man. 



Hugo de Vries. 



University of Amsterdam. 



SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW 



YORK STATE SCIENCE TEACHERS 



ASSOCIATION. 



The meeting was held December 27 and 

 28 in the Medical College of Syracuse Uni- 

 versity. The greater part of two half days 

 was given up to the section meetings which 

 are reported at the end of this article. 

 There were also four general meetings. 

 Friday evening was devoted to a dinner 

 and social reunion, an innovation appre- 

 ciated by all. 



The following papers were read and dis- 

 cussed in general sessions : 



The Value of Research Work in Education : 

 Professor Samuel J. Saunders, Hamil- 

 ton College, Clinton. 



All education wliich attains its highest 

 ends is of the- nature of original research. 

 The power to apply the research method 

 should be raised to as high efficiency as 

 possible before we stand face to face with 

 the problems of life; it should be culti- 

 vated during the whole school career. 

 Much of our modern educational effort 

 fails because the pupil does not test his 

 knowledge continuously and learn 'to do 

 by doing. ' The research method in science 



trains the observation, the imagination 

 and the memory. It increases manual 

 dexterity and -skill. It forces the student 

 to stand on his own merits and makes of 

 him a vital factor in the promotion of 

 civilization and national prosperity. 



The Study of Types: Professor N. A. Har- 

 vey, Chicago Normal School. 

 A full abstract of this paper is printed 

 in School Science, beginning with Febru- 

 ary, 1902. 



Tlie Eeport of the Committee on 'A stand- 

 ard College Entrance in Botany,' ap- 

 pointed by the Society for Plant Mor- 

 phology and Physiology. Presented by 

 Professor Francis E. Lloyd, Teachers 

 College, Columbia University. 

 This report is discussed in a recent num- 

 ber of Science (page 409). 



Symposium, What ought the high _ school 

 teacher in each science to know? What 

 ought he to he able to do? What are 

 liis opportunities for self -improvement? 

 Brief speeches by several members and 

 guests. 



Report of Progress of the Committee on 

 Stimulants and Narcotics: Presented by 

 the Chairman, Professor Irving P. 

 Bishop, Normal School, Buffalo. 

 The report comprises: I., A comparison 

 of text-books used in medical colleges and 

 iu the public schools of the state; II., opin- 

 ions of the committee regarding the effects 

 of alcohol; III., opinions of educators re- 

 garding present methods of teacliing phys- 

 iology; IV., conclusions of the committee 

 from the preceding investigation; V., 

 recommendations of the committee. The 

 report urges that the state law be modified 

 so as to give more freedom to the writers 

 of text-books and the teachers of physiology 

 'to decide as to the character and content 

 of their teaching.' It urges that less time 

 be spent in trying to teach the physiological 



