177 
There is no doubt that t lit- elementary botanical course may be fairly well covered 
in 180 hours, or possibly 160, but to do it will require strict attention to the essen- 
tials both by the teacher and by the student. No interesting tangenl lines can be 
explored. 
An examination of the agricultural course as recommended by the committee on 
methods of teaching agriculture shows lsi> houre given to the subject in its 
narrower technical .sense, divided as follows: 
Hours. 
1. Agronomy, or plant production L32 
2. Zootechny, or animal industry Kii' 
3. Agrotechny, or agricultural technology 72 
4. Rural engineering, or farm mechanics (10 
5. Rural economics, or farm management (50 
Total 486 
In the committee's syllabus of the course in agronomy considerable space is given 
to subject matter which must necessarily be covered in a course in botany. The 
ground covered is essentially as follows: 
(Structure (anatomy). 
Composition. 
Physiology. 
Environment. 
{Agriculture has for its object the adaptation of environment to the 
anatomy and physiology of the plants under cultivation, with a view 
to securing crops which are best suited to the uses of man or the 
domestic animals. 
We may conveniently begin the study of plant production by considering the gen- 
eral characteristics of the environment of plants as grown in the field. 
Environment 
(General factors.) 
Environment 
(Divided according 
to position. ) 
Light, 
Heat. 
Moisture. 
Air. 
Soil 
Above ground. 
(Climate.) 
Under ground . . 
(Soil.) 
Natural 
With fertilizers. 
Light 
Heat 
Moisture 
Air 
Heat 
Moisture 
Air 
Earth (soil). 
Fertilizers . 
Plant food. 
Study the relation of 
each of these factors 
to plant growth and 
also briefly their 
effects in different 
combinations — i. e., 
different climates. 
Point out that the re- 
lation of these fac- 
tors to plant growth 
may be most clearly 
perceived by first 
considering them in 
their relation to 
each other. 
Briefly, it is proposed to study the structure, composition, physiology, and environ- 
ment of crop plants from the standpoint of plant production. If this course is pre- 
ceded by the proper botanical training, the ground from the standpoint of agronomy 
can be covered in very much less time and with greater success, as provided for in 
the syllabus under the head of individual farm crops. If this special botanical por- 
tion of agronomy be transferred to botany, we estimate that there would be a saving 
of at least 20 hours, which should be added to botany in the sophomore year. 
Twenty hours should also be taken from agricultural chemistry and added to botany, 
giving 160 hours for this subject, 2 hours' lecture and 4 hours' laboratory work for 
40 weeks. This would leave practically 120 hours for that portion of agronomy not 
presented in the botanical course, and would leave 150 hours for chemistry in the 
«U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Experiment Stations Circ. 39, 
21736— No. 142—04-^12 
