SCIENCE 



Feidat, August 25, 1911 



CONTENTS 



The Calculus in Technical Literature: Pro- 

 TEssoK Ernest W. Ponzer 225 



Siohard Klebs : Dr. George F. Kunz 234 



The Association of Official Agricultural Chem- 

 ists 235 



Scientific Notes and Ne-ws 236 



University and Educational News 238 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



Air in the Depths of the Ocean: Carl 

 Hering. The Lighting of a Jet of Hydro- 

 gen: B. P. Lovelace 239 



Quotations : — 



The Administration of the Department of 

 Agriculture 240 



Scientific BooJcs: 



Punnett's Mendelism: Professor W. E. 

 Castle. Duggar's Plant Physiology : Pro- 

 fessor Burton E. Livingston 240 



Notes on Meteorology and Climatology: An- 

 drew H. Palmer 246 



Special Articles: — 



The Nitrogen and Eumus Problem in Dry- 

 farming : Professor Robert Stewart .... 248 



The American Chemical Society 250 



MSS. intended foi- publication and books, etc., intended for 

 review sbould be sent to the Editor of Science, Garrison-on- 

 Hudson, N. Y. 



THE CALCULUS IN TECHNICAL 

 LITEBATUME 



It would be difficult to get a majority 

 report on either the quantity or quality of 

 the calculus used by practising engineers 

 in any country even if their individual 

 opinions on the matter could be obtained. 

 Evidences of the many conflicting views 

 likely to be held are presented in the testi- 

 mony along this line contributed by former 

 students of ours who, after a brief experi- 

 ence in the technical world, give us their 

 impressions of how much they have been 

 called upon in actual practise to use the 

 various mathematical principles with which 

 they wrestled so laboriously in freshman 

 and sophomore college days. 



Instructors of mathematics in universi- 

 ties where sections of engineering majors 

 are formed have, no doubt, heard recited, 

 as I have, the many and varied experiences 

 of these young engineers with the problems 

 involving mathematics which arose at vari- 

 ous times in their brief experience. Per- 

 haps some cub engineer, who already had 

 done a piece or two of engineering work 

 worth while, has told you of how he has 

 never yet had to use his calculus and that 

 he wonders why we keep on teaching it. 

 Perhaps you have been told, as I have, that 

 if the prospective engineers are thoroughly 

 grounded in the differentiation and inte- 

 gration of M", and know what they mean 

 and how to use them, they will then have 

 as much calculus as they are likely to use 

 in the problems which may arise. Again, 

 you may have heard another say, as I have, 

 that he is already using all the mathe- 

 matics he ever learned — and then some — 

 and that he wished he had taken various 



