Deoembek 16, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



851 



eral chemistry is required for admission, in 

 32 the study of it begins during the fresh- 

 man year, and in 14 during the sophomore 

 year, and in 6 it continues through the 

 second year. Without a single exception 

 laboratory work accompanies class-room 

 instruction. 



ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



Organic chemistry is the branch of the 

 subject which seems to be the least appre- 

 ciated by those who have fixed the require- 

 ments of the course. Of the north Atlantic 

 states three require the subject, in the 

 south Atlantic states five, in the north cen- 

 tral states four, in the south central states 

 three and in the far western three, making 

 a total of eighteen, or only a little more 

 than a third of the states. Where given 

 the number of hours a week varies from 

 1^ to 5, the average, including those in 

 which it is not given, being one. It is quite 

 likely that in addition to this a little time 

 is given to the subject in connection with 

 the introductory courses. 



Agricultural chemistry, the first of the 

 agricultural sciences, in point of time, may 

 be said to date from 1840 if any definite 

 date can be assigned. The work which 

 brought it into existence was prepared at 

 the request of the chemical section of the 

 British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science. In the 1852 revision of Lie- 

 big's work by Lyon Plaj'fair, the editor 

 says, "the former edition of this work was 

 prepared in the form of a report on the 

 present state of organic chemistry." The- 

 title was ' ' Organic Chemistry in its Appli- 

 cation to Vegetable Physiology and Agri- 

 culture." When the second part of his 

 report — that relating to animal physiology 

 and pathologj' — appeared in 1852, Liebig 

 said, "The connection between chemistry 

 and physiology is the same [i. e., 'so 

 fused'— W. A. W.] and in another half 



century it will be found impossible to sepa- 

 rate them." How could he know that 

 about 1902 our knowledge of the carbo- 

 hydrates and proteids and their cleavage 

 products would have advanced so much! 

 Will the agricultural colleges, while so 

 highly honoring the memory of Liebig, at 

 the same time minimize the subject, the 

 knowledge of which made Liebig 's work 

 possible. 



ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 



Qualitative analysis is required in all the 

 north Atlantic states but three, in all the 

 south Atlantic states, in aU the north cen- 

 tral states but two, in all the south central 

 states but two, and in all the far western 

 states but one, making a total of only 

 eight states in which it is not required. 

 Quantitative analysis is required in two 

 north Atlantic states, four south Atlantic 

 states, four north central states, two south 

 central states and four far western states, 

 making a total of sixteen states or about 

 one third in which quantitative analysis is 

 required. 



The average number of hours a week 

 given to qualitative and quantitative analy- 

 sis together is 1.5 for the north Atlantic 

 states, 2.3 for the south Atlantic states and 

 north central states, 1.4 for the south 

 central states and 2.7 for the far western 

 states, with an average of 2 for the entire 

 LTnited States. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY 



As taught to agricultural students, agri- 

 cultural chemistry appears upon examina- 

 tion of the college catalogues to have three 

 different meanings, viz: (1) general chem- 

 istry, with such omissions and additions 

 as will better fit the subject to the needs of 

 agricultural students; (2) quantitative 

 analysis, with its scope similarly modified, 

 and (3) the consideration of plant and 



