January 29, 1886.] 



SCIENCE. 



105 



choice should be made all at once, and that at the 

 time when the boy leaves home ; that from that 

 time onward he should have the entire decision. 

 We hold, on the contrary, that he should first de- 

 velop somewhat in his new surroundings, learn 

 better how to study, and what the different courses 

 are, before he has the grave task of deciding. 

 Moreover, a headlong plunge into freedom is not a 

 good thing. I still think, also, that an educated 

 man should enjoy a good training in the five great 

 branches of human knowledge, — in mathematics ; 

 in language, including literature ; in physical 

 science ; in the history of his race ; in philosophy. 

 Because, then, I do not think that the new educa- 

 tion draws the line in the right place, I am opposed 

 to its extreme measures. 



One argument of Professor Palmer hardly ad- 

 mits of statistics. He thinks the type of manliness 

 at Harvard higher than that to be found at colleges 

 that have not so fully adopted the elective system. 

 I reply, that I do not believe the men at Yale 

 yield in manliness to those of any college. 



My ideal of cultured manliness in the under- 

 graduate agrees with that of Professor Palmer : as 

 to how best to realize it, we differ. In my opinion, 

 he gives too little weight to the great ethical law 

 of habit, and to the value of the pressure of im- 

 mediate necessity. We want to train the young 

 to choose right spontaneously, but none of us live 

 solely under the influence of high and remote 

 ideals. Under a system of education, which 

 kindly but firmly invites men to 4 choose right,' in 

 view of consequences that come closely home to 

 them, the best characters will be formed. 



Having now pretty fully traversed the ground 

 of Professor Palmer's arguments from experience, 

 I wish, in closing, to express, on behalf of the ma- 

 jority of educationists, the fears — honest and 

 strong fears — which they feel as to the ultimate 

 results of the new education. 



We fear that the new education will increase the 

 tendency to shallowness, already great enough in 

 American student life. We have already too 

 much smattering of many knowledges. The chief 

 remedy must be to pursue certain topics with per- 

 sistence and thoroughness. If the average Ameri- 

 can boy, on entering college, had had the discipline 

 afforded by the drill of a German gymnasium, he 

 might more safely judge for himself. Two years 

 more of continued study of certain prescribed 

 subjects — whatever these may be — is certainly 

 little enough to require of him. 



We are afraid of the effects of the new educa- 

 tion on the academies of the country. They have 

 been gradually improving under the increased re- 

 quirements of the colleges ; but how shall they 

 meet the demands made by boys, who, under the 



new education, may enter college in so many dif- 

 ferent ways? What interest, also, will boys take 

 in mathematics and the ancient classics, when 

 these are liable to be abandoned so soon as they 

 have attained free election ? 



We are afraid of the effects of the new educa- 

 tion on the higher education of the country, which 

 has been constantly rising for years. The new 

 methods, in themselves considered, are better than 

 the old : and the new learning and science are, of 

 course, far richer than those of the past. But, in 

 order to introduce these, is it necessary to take the 

 direct control from the older and wiser, and leave 

 it to the choice of the inexperienced V Such a 

 course will, in certain lines, destroy all connected 

 and steady discipline in higher education. 



Finally, in spite of Professor Palmer's argu- 

 ments, we are afraid of the effects of the new edu- 

 cation on the character of the youth. 



We think we have shown, that in every respect, 

 except that of securing $175,000 instead of $250,- 

 000 a year, and of making a smaller percentage of 

 annual gain in numbers, the results of the system 

 in vogue at Yale are equal or superior to those at 

 Harvard. We need much more light, both from 

 reason and observation, before preferring the new 

 education to one which is, in our judgment, wiser, 

 though both new and old. 



THE LEVELLING OF SIBERIA. 



The publication of the results of the Siberian 

 levelling, the largest of the kind yet made, is at 

 last ended. The survey originated in the Imperial 

 Russian geographical society, which petitioned the 

 Russian government to grant the necessary means, 

 setting forth the want of an accurate knowledge of 

 the height above sea-level of a great part of Siberia. 

 The preliminary results were known in 1878, and 

 gave a much greater height for Lake Baikal than 

 was expected. The detailed calculations were de- 

 layed from different reasons, among which were 

 the long illness and death of Mr. Moschkow, to 

 whom was intrusted the greater part of the work. 

 It was afterwards given to W. Fuss, who ended it. 

 The whole length of the levelling from Zwerigo- 

 lowskaja on the Tobol to Lake Baikal is 3087. 1 versts 

 (2,040 English statute miles). Unfortunately the 

 starting-point is not connected by levelling with 

 the Black or Baltic seas, but by triangulation only, 

 so that an uncertainty of perhaps thirty or even 

 forty feet remains. The results are shown in the 

 accompanying profile. 



Gen. A. Tillo has the direction of different level- 

 lings under the ministry of public works. In 1884 

 the mean level of Lake Ladoga over the Gulf of 

 Finland was determined, and found to be 16.3 



