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extent possible our botanic gardens and museums. I would not 

 look upon them as a mere adjunct to our work or as factors in a 

 method of teaching, but I would connect them as an integral 

 part of the subject and in one sense the most important part. 

 If the training and botanical knowledge that we give to our 

 pupils is going to amount to anything it must not stop at the end 

 of the first year course in elementary botany. How then are we 

 going to continue it, especially with those pupils who cannot go 

 to college? The answer is, teach them how to use the gardens 

 and the parks. Teach them so that in later years and even 

 during the rest of their high school course, they may find in 

 them a place for recreation and a source of inspiration, a means 

 of avocation, and in some cases, let us hope, a field for serious 

 study. What the public libraries are to the English and history 

 departments, the gardens, parks and museums should be to the 

 biology department. 



In conclusion let me say that though the present outlook is 

 none too bright, and we may have to fight for the very existence 

 of our subject, the future is not hopeless. If we believe in our 

 subject let us vitalize it. Let it meet the needs, solve the prob- 

 lems and arouse the interests of our pupils. If we do this, if we 

 vitalize it properly, botany will compel its own recognition. 



Boys High School, 

 Brooklyn, N. Y. 



CHANGES IN TEACHING BIOLOGY IN OUR HIGH 



SCHOOLS 



By Cyrus A. King 



To graduate from a city high school, a pupil is required to pass 

 and receive credit for 17 units of work. Of these units, eight 

 are required of all pupils. Three are in English, three in history 

 and civics and two are given for work in drawing and physical 

 training. The other nine units are selected from the following 

 groups: Three from a foreign language group, two from another 

 language group, two from the mathematics or science group, 

 and the remaining two from any group. 



