Mabch 30, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



515 



a previous committee of the same association 

 on methods of teaching agriculture. Pro- 

 fessor Bailey, of Cornell University, in dis- 

 cussing the course, gave his general approval 

 of at least the first two years and said it in 

 many ways corresponded to the course now 

 being offered at Cornell University. The 

 course recommended was as follows: 



such use still exists, they have striven to create 

 the impression that the metric system has made 

 but little progress among nations, and that the 

 expense and diificulty of its introduction into this 

 country are insurmountable obstacles to its em- 

 ployment. 



To support these contentions they are solicit- 

 ing every one they can influence to write letters 

 to their representatives in Congress, urging them 



Freshmen. 



Botany 100 



Chemistry 100 



Physics 100 



Zoology 100 



Geom. &Trig 100 



English 100 



Modern Languages .. . 150 



750 



Sopho 



Senior. 



Bural Engineering... 60 



Rural Economics 60 



Land Gardening 30 



Plant Breeding 30 



Hist. &Pol. Sci 190 



Ethics 40 



Elective 370 



780 



Total. 



230 840 



000 900 



180 820 



370 470 



780 



Botany 100 



Chemistry 100 



Geology 100 



Physiology 100 



Agron. Climate, Soils, 



etc 50 



Plant Propagation... 50 



English 100 



Modern Languages .. 100 

 Drawing 50 



f Agron. ... 50 ) 

 Agr. \ Zoot 100 U90 



(.Agro 40j 



Veterinary Medicine.. 100 



Surveying 40 



Shop Work 30 



Forestry 30 



fPom 50] 



XT , I Oler 50 I , en 



^°'^- Flor 30 r^*^ 



[L. Hort.. 20 J 



Psychology 60 



Modern Languages 50 



Elective 100 



750 



Culture 250 . 



Pure Science 500. 



Applied Science 000 . 



750 



750 



750 



THE METRIC SYSTEM BEFORE 00N0RE88. 

 As most readers of Science know, a bill is 

 now before congress which, if enacted, will 

 require the use of the weights and measures 

 of the metric system by the government after 

 July 1, 1908. The committee on publicity of 

 the American Metrological Society, of which 

 Professor Simon Newcomb is chairman and 

 Professor James H. Gore, secretary, have sent 

 out the following letter: 



It is well known to those interested in the 

 matter that certain persons have for the past 

 three years been actively engaged in opposing the 

 use of the metric system of weights and meas- 

 ures in the United States by all means in their 

 power. In order to accomplish their purpose 

 they have sent out a great deal of literature in 

 which a distorted picture of the real state of the 

 case is presented to their readers. By ignoring 

 some facts, minimizing others, and by the ex- 

 aggeration of the importance of the residual em- 

 ployment of the old weights and measures where 



to oppose the passage of any bill by Congress in 

 favor of the metric system. They persistently 

 endeavor to create the impression that the bills 

 proposed are intended to forcibly compel the im- 

 mediate use of said system, by imposing penalties 

 on those engaged in ordinary trades and occupa- 

 tions, and they also exaggerate in every possible 

 way the alleged prospective difficulties of a change 

 from the customary system. 



Members of Congress who are acquainted with 

 the subject, and who honestly are endeavoring to 

 find some way by which our country can adopt 

 and enjoy the benefits of the international sys- 

 tem of weights and measures, in which all the 

 real progress of the world is now made, find 

 themselves handicapped in their efforts to make 

 their fellow members of Congress see the subject 

 in its proper light by the apparent lack of inter- 

 est, on the part of the friends of the metric sys- 

 tem in our country. The opponents of the sys- 

 tem, though few in number, are creating as much 

 noise as possible, while the friends of the system 

 confident of success are doing little to convince 

 Congress of its advantages. We, therefore, earn- 



