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the student's own language. In a word, experiments and observations should be 
conducted in such a way as to exemplify every phase of scientific method. The 
student should be taughl how to experiment and how to observe, how to check 
results and eliminate all possible error. This should he made as prominent as 
possible without actually teaching the logic of scientific method as such. 
(4) Necessarily a course which aims to explain the fundamental phenomena of 
plant production must give great prominence to physiology. Very simple experi- 
ments suffice for the first year's work; later in the course greenhouse facilities and 
moderately elaborate apparatus would he necessary. Next to physiology, descriptive 
and systematic work is of the most value. I should personally advocate the giving 
over of the la.st third of the first year's course to this and as large a proportion of the 
whole course. A practical difficulty here exists, in that we have no manual contain- 
ing the majority of the cultivated plants. This lack in our botanical literature should 
be supplied. 
(5) The course should be continuous throughout the four years' course, including 
those courses more often taught separately from botany under the names of bacteri- 
ology, plant pathology, agrostology, etc. 
A course fulfilling these requirements and presented coherently, as one subject 
and with one method, would supply what is at present lacking — an educational 
backbone for the agricultural course. It would be part and parcel of the work in 
practical agriculture, supplementing and explaining it at every step. It would react 
favorably toward botanical science, tending to develop investigation in a neglected 
field; at the same time it would greatly enlarge the material aspects of botany. 
In our agricultural education we are too prone to overlook pedagogical (piestions 
in the absorbing interest of a technical subject. This tendency is to he deprecated. 
Why is it, with pedagogical journals on the increase and with agricultural educa- 
tion continually more popular, 'hat we find so few discussions of the special prob- 
lems of agricultural education? But, better than discussions, which must necessarily 
deal largely in glittering generalities, would be the publication from agricultural 
teachers of definite text-books adapted to their peculiar work; and especially wel- 
come would be a few laboratory manuals from the botanists, presenting in detail the 
methods actually in use. 
Some subject is bound to be developed to complete the unification of the agricul- 
tural course and lake the leading educational place. Botany is naturally qualified 
for this position; whether it will take it or not depends upon its pedagogic develop- 
ment in the next few years. This is by all odds the greatest problem and the 
greatest opportunity now before the teaching botanist, 
A. F. Woods, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, chairman of a committee 
appointed at the last convention to report on introductory courses in botany, pre- 
sented the report of the committee as follows: 
Introductory Courses in Botany. 
At the last meeting of the Association of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment 
Stations the Section of Horticulture and Botany passed the following resolution: 
11 Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by the chair to prepare and 
report to 1 his section one year hence an outline of what might be considered an ideal 
introductory course in botany, designed for students of agricultural colleges — one 
that shall constitute a scientific basis for further work in applied botany." 
The committee appointed was as follows: A. F. Woods, F. A. Waugh, and E. M. 
Wilcox, with a special advisory committee consisting of E. C. Bessey, and G. F. 
Atkinson. 
In his letter naming the committee Professor Craig added the following explana- 
tion: 
"The purpose <>f the resolution was to bring before the section next year for dis- 
cussion the subject of beginning courses in botany. Horticulturists are warmly 
interested, especially in colleges where students take up horticulture prior to the 
junior year. It was the belief of those representing horticulture and botany at the 
recent meeting that a tentative outline, prepared by a committee and offered next 
year, showing the sequence of courses in botany, would prove a profitable subject to 
discuss." 
The object of a general elementary course in botany should be to develop in the 
student an accurate, comprehensive knowledge of the life and relationship of plants. 
He must be taught how to study and interpret them. This involves, tirst, an ele- 
mentary, introductory, or fundamental course, which should cover essentially the 
same ground, whether in common school, preparatory school, or college. What should 
such a course include, and how long a time should be devoted to it? I n answering 
these questions we desire first to call attention to the third report of a committee 
