May 23 19U2. 



SCIENCE. 



811 



is doing so much for securing standard and 

 satisfactory analytical methods, was organ- 

 ized. The Experiment Stations established 

 in 1887, the present Soil Surveys and finally 

 the establishment of a division of chem- 

 istry in the department of agriculture are 

 simply cited as marks of progress. Al- 

 though full courses of chemistry are given 

 at all of these land-grant colleges, many of 

 which have some of the very best equipped 

 laboratories and offer the most extensive 

 election of work in chemistry, the total 

 number of agricultural chemists or students 

 taking agricultural chemistry is propor- 

 tionately small (1,555). A full table is 

 given showing the proportion of students 

 in all courses in these state colleges who 

 receive instruction in chemistry, proportion 

 of students in agricultural courses who 

 receive chemical instruction, with special 

 reference to agricultural products, plant 

 life, fertilizers, etc. 



Industrial or Technical Chemistry. — In 

 considering that phase of the subject the 

 committee had to consider it from two 

 standpoints: first, the amateur; and sec- 

 ond, the professional. 



In regard to the former a quotation from 

 Priestley's 'Essay on Education' is fitting: 

 'It seems to me a defect in our public 

 course of education that a proper course of 

 study is not provided for gentlemen who 

 are to fill the greatest stations of actual life 

 distinct from those who are adapted to the 

 learned professions.' With this was taken 

 a course of lectures in industrial chemistry 

 — really economics, chemically considered 

 — as offered in many institutions. 



In regard to the second class, professional 

 chemists, George Hamilton, in writing to 

 Sir Alfred Hickman, ex-president of the 

 British Iron Trade Association, among 

 other things said : ' Chemical research, con- 

 centration of capital, thorough technical 

 education, improved industrial organiza- 

 tions have made, within recent years, 



greater advance in America than here.' — 

 Nature. The most timely address of the 

 retiring president, Wm. McMurtrie, was re- 

 ferred to. 



The rapid growth of chemistry has natu- 

 rally developed undesirable phases, some 

 beyond help, but others that may be cor- 

 rected : 



First, there has been a tendency to per- 

 mit many students to specialize before the 

 proper foundation had been laid. The re- 

 sult has been the making of mere analysts 

 and not chemists. 



The second, in a measure dependent upon 

 the first, may be stated in the words of one 

 of the respondents : 'It seems that chemists 

 are underpaid ; while a furnace-man gets 

 from $150 to $300 per month, the chemist 

 gets about $50 to $100 per month. ' 



Third, according to another respondent: 

 'Our country is a long way behind the 

 times in the matter of cooperation between 

 manufacturers and unive,rsities. ' 



Fourth, there is a notable percentage of 

 chemists, practical and teaching, especially 

 the latter, who are not members of any 

 chemical society, according to the latest 

 official registers of Germany, England and 

 America. 



Fifth, the Chemical Society ought to 

 take some steps to set the seal of approval 

 for all graduates in first-rate chemical 

 courses and to disapprove of self-made and 

 half -made chemists. 



A very encouraging state of affairs was 

 observed in regard to the increase in the 

 number of members of the American 

 Chemical Society. Yet it is noticeable that 

 teachers in many of the smaller institu- 

 tions, and assistants and fellows in the 

 larger ones, have not allied themselves 

 with any chemical society. Suggestions 

 were offered and steps have already been 

 taken, whereby this, in a measure, can be 

 remedied. 



Very interesting and gratifying infor- 



