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have less of mathematics, but they have more of the sciences, and they have the 
technical studies which closely border on sciences when taught properly. 
Mr. Davenport. 1 believe thoroughly that there is a scientific way to teach 
agriculture when we can find it. It is unscientific, I believe, to say to a man 
who wants to study beef cattle that he must first study sheep. We must try 
to meet the demand scientifically. Find the unit in his mind and meet it with 
the unit instruction. Concentration is the object sought, but let the technical 
training be done in the most scientific way possible of course, if the student 
changes his plans, the special information will be useless, and whether he 
changes his plans or not much of the information employed in the instruction 
will l>e discounted in a few years, but the training he receives, the attitude of 
mind, the ability to think and carry out a thing to its issue, will remain with 
him. The pedagogic idea is the main idea in it. If the student has announced 
his desire to study beef cattle. I should get him among the animals as soon as 
possible. I should let him understand he is studying beef cattle at once, but I 
should advise him to study chemistry at the same time. We require a year and 
a half chemistry before the student can study stock feeding. The moment he 
announces his desires we begin to frame up his course of study, and he works 
the whole thing together. 
Mr. Henry referred to the rapidity of the growth of specialization in teaching 
agriculture since the agricultural colleges were first organized, and to his be- 
lief from the beginning that this would be the tendency. 
After some further discussion the section on college work and administration 
adjourned. 
SECTION ON EXPERIMENT STATION WORK. 
Afternoon Session. Tuesday. November 1. 1904. 
The section convened at 2.15 p. in.. Chairman E. H. Jenkins presiding. 
On motion, the section resolved to have but two afternoon meetings, viz. on 
Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. 
Organization of a Section on Botany and Horticulture. 
The communication of F. L. Stevens, of North Carolina, filing an application 
from botanists and horticulturists, requesting that one of the sections of the 
association be devoted to their interests, was referred to the section for consid- 
eration. 
On this subject L. H. Pammel. of Iowa, said : 
I had an invitation from Professors Stevens and Rane to prepare a paper for 
this meeting. I was urged to be present to present a paper because on the 
interest manifested in the work would depend the organization of this section. 
I favor the creation of such a section, but I must confess the sectional meetings 
have not been entirely successful. I have attended five or six meetings of this 
association, but at none of these meetings did we have a large attendance of 
botanists and horticulturists. Inasmuch as this convention is largely a delegate 
convention, it seems to me it is rather expecting too much to have the station 
workers attend and pay their own expenses. It seems to me. however, that the 
station botanists and horticulturists have the right to know something about the 
working policies of the institution, as these are the matters most discussed. 
Under present circumstances you can never expect a large attendance from the 
station workers, outside of the director and president, who should by all means 
attend. 
On motion of W. II. Jordan, of New York, the application was not granted. 
