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between the work of the horticulturist and the agriculturist— I mean the fruit grower 
and the fanner. There should be a differentiation in the curriculum leading to those 
subjects of study. It seems to me unadvisable that there should be introduced into 
the course in agriculture, at least in the senior year, this amount of horticulture and 
forestry. I should say that a corresponding curriculum leading in the direction of 
horticulture would be much preferable. 
There is another point to which I should .like to call attention. A remark was 
made by Director True that it was the general view of the committee that the pri- 
mary sciences should be studied in the earlier part of the curriculum because they 
formed in a certain sense the foundation for the work in agriculture further along. 
This seems to be true. There is, however, this very practical difficulty — that the 
teachers in agriculture are not brought into contact with the students who wish to 
do that work. The students are brought into contact with the teachers of these pri- 
mary sciences, who are not particularly interested in the application of these sciences. 
That gives rise to very great practical difficulty. If a young man is allowed to go on 
to the sophomore or junior portion of the course before he comes in contact with the 
teacher of agriculture or horticulture, as the case may be, the result must be unde- 
sirable. I believe that the practical gain would be greater by bringing him into con- 
tact as early in his career as possible with the men who are interested in the practical 
applications of these subjects. 
I know that the theory is that primary scientific methods should be somewhat 
understood before undertaking these matters of detail; but I doubt whether, as a 
practical proposition, that object is so highly important as some suppose. 
I notice that physical geography is suggested as one of the subjects. Now, as 
physical geography has been taught in the academies and high schools of the 
country, it seems to me ill adapted to the purposes in view here. It is not a science, 
nor does it give training in scientific methods as ordinarily understood. Physical 
geography may be a very useful study in an ordinary college or university; but 
it is pursued by purely informational processes and the student gets no training 
in scientific methods. We regard this and similar subjects as ill adapted to the 
purposes in view. A beginning in the study of scientific methods through an 
attack on one of the biological sciences would seem to be of very great importance 
in the secondary schools and would be far better than such a collection of things 
as is usually embodied under the name of physical geography. 
In the main, however, I believe the work of this committee has been very useful, 
and I think that there is no one thing in which our colleges might make greater 
advancement than in the pedagogy of agriculture. 
E. B. Andrews. As is well known to gentlemen here, there is in some of the 
States a movement on foot to develop the teaching of the elements of agriculture in 
the public schools, not with any particular view to prepare the pupils to enter the 
agricultural colleges, but as an important matter in connection with the general 
instruction of young people in the agricultural States. It seems to me that this is a 
movement which, from every point of view, ought to be fostered and furthered so 
far as possible by this association and the institutions represented here. It may be 
that the committee to whose admirable report we have just listened with delight have 
in mind some plan looking in that direction. If not, I should be glad to make 
a motion at the proper time that this committee be requested in its discretion, 
next year or as soon as it can conveniently do so, to include in its report as fully as 
possible suggestions and directions to public school superintendents, principals, and 
teachers, as well as the representatives of this association who are interested in 
public school work, toward the formulation of suitable courses, text-books, etc., cal- 
culated to be helpful to the efforts now making to give the instruction in the ele- 
ments of agriculture in the public schools. 
