in:; 
pies nearly tbree whole columns — almost no entire page of that mammotb pub- 
llcation — and even then the list Is far from being exhausted. 
Every possible phase of education or direction In which it may i><- applied 
has its own degree; every occupation, calling, or business claims the distinction 
of ;i degree. Whether ;i Bingle science is studied, or a group of sciences so cor- 
related as to tit for some specific end, the completion of the study is followed 
by the granting of a degree Indicating thai the student has accomplished such 
course of study, it makes one dizzy to follow the great diversity of possible 
degrees to which such a plan loads. 
The medical course in this country leads to an abominable system of degrees; 
but custom has so fixed the title of doctor as synonymous with the profession 
of the physician that it is hopeless to make an effort to change it. However, 
the physicians do not make any distinction of specialists, only having distinctive 
titles for dentists, veterinarians, and compounders of medicines. 
The etymology of the term " hachelor " is not haccalaureus. fancifully derived 
from "hay berry," "the laurel-crowned one," hut haccalaureus, originally 
vacca laurius — vacca, afterwards written bacca, and laurius, changed to laureus 
to conform to a fancy forced upon it — "cow driver," "an apprentice," or a 
soldier who has not yet risen to the dignity of carrying the standard. The 
word is thus peculiarly fitting for the first collegiate degree. A movement has 
lately set in that promises to reduce the number of degrees, and it is hoped 
that the land-grant colleges will unite in helping it along. All those colleges 
now require of the candidates who annually present themselves for admission 
to the college about the same grade of preparation. Men who are admitted 
to any work of lower order than the freshman grade are not looking forward 
to taking a degree, and those pursuing any course less extended than the 
four years' courses are sufficiently rewarded by the knowledge and training 
they have received. 
The degree of bachelor of arts has been from the first the distinctive degree of 
the man who has studied Latin and Greek; but it has lately been given to the 
man who has studied Latin only. This degree, in my judgment, out of respect for 
this old custom, should be given to those two classes of graduates only. The 
degree of B. S. should be given to the graduate of any other course, and the studies 
in which he has specialized or the direction in which his profession lies can be 
added in his diploma. The B. S. degree should be put on the same level as the 
B. A. degree in preparation asked of the candidate and in the length and 
severity of the course leading to it. 
Some of the engineers are making a special plea for a degree to be known as 
bachelor of engineering. They claim that this degree should be given after the 
completion of a course of studies so related to each other as to prepare the 
student for undertaking the complex duties of the engineer. They recognize 
that there are too many subidvisions of the modern engineering profession to 
give each its appropriate degree. 
At first civil engineering, as distinguished from military engineering, bad- 
alone to be provided for. Soon mechanical and mining engineering, to be fol- 
lowed by electrical engineering, entered into the field, and now we have 
chemical engineering, sanitary engineering, textile engineering, landscape en- 
gineering, promoting engineering, and so on ad nauseam. Agriculture as an 
industry has the same claims as the profession of engineering, and it calls for 
a knowledge of science and training in its application as wide and as thorough 
as are demanded by any of the industries of life. Some colleges give the 
bachelor of agriculture, others the bachelor of the science of agriculture. The 
horticulturists, the pomologists, the agrostologists. and various other specialists 
may insist upon giving the degree of bachelor of the particular branch of agri- 
culture in which the student has received his undergraduate training. 
The only way to stop the multiplication of degrees is to come to some 
rational plan, and I am glad to see that most land-grant colleges have aready 
put in practice the granting of only two degrees, the bachelor of arts and the 
bachelor of science. 
To conclude. I think the land-grant colleges should limit their degrees upon 
the completion of an undergraduate course of study to the degrees of bachelor 
of arts and bachelor of science. The former degree should be given to the 
graduate of a course of study in which Greek and Latin, or Latin alone, of col- 
legiate grade, formed a part of the regular work of the course. The degree of 
bachelor of science should be given to students upon the completion of any of 
the other courses, and it should be added in the diploma in what lines they 
directed their studies. 
