agriculture, domestic science, and others of like character, ought to follow preparatory courses in science. This proposition would also seem axiomatic, but nevertheless it is common practice to arrange these courses independently of other courses in science. and often even start them in the first year of the high school. This is a great mistake, both pedagogically and as a business arrangement. The courses in pure science can and ought to be made strictly preparatory to the applied science given in the school and thus save both time for the pupil and expense for teachers and laboratories, giving at the same time a better training for the pupil. By preparatory science, I include two ideas: first, those pure sciences which are foundational for the applied science should precede or accompany the work in applied science; secondly, these preparatory sciences should use the material of the applied science for the laboratory and for illustration. For example, courses in botany, zoölogy, and chemistry may prepare for agriculture by using for material for the laboratory and demonstration things within the experience of the farmer's boy, relating the study to the phenomena of the farm. This can be done without detriment to the scientific value of the training and at the same time give a return of vastly greater interest and value to the student. In the same way courses in other applied sciences may be anticipated and their value greatly augmented. It cannot be done, however, unless there is concerted action by all departments of science.

My fifth and last proposition is that there is too much scattering of fire in science curricula by short courses. I would eliminate all half-year courses except in the first year where the requirement of physiology makes full year courses impracticable. The half-year course gives a sense of hurry, incompleteness, overcrowding, and tends to indigestion in the pupil and the killing of interest. So-called courses in biology consisting of a half year of botany and a half year of zoology are a serious mistake. Better work, better training, and a better comprehension of life phenomena can be had with a full year of either botany or zoology than in the half year of both, for the same fundamental laws of life are found in both. If the school cannot afford to give full year courses in both, then take one of them and give the attention that was spread over the two to this one. This idea that pupils must have a taste, at least, of a great many subjects is slowly giving way. Educational training should result in a disciplined mind and ability to do things. Brief courses

will not give this result; there must be time enough spent on a subject to give the pupil a grasp of the subject-time enough to gain that power that comes only from mastery. Science has not yet come into its own. The so-called "scientific" courses offered in the curricula of many schools are scientific only in name. The proposed science group of studies now being consid-. ered for the high schools of Chicago is a step in the right direction, with its six years of required work in science and three semesters' work offered in each of the four departments of science. The curriculum in science should give opportunity for forty to fifty per cent of a pupil's work to be taken in science if applied sciences are included, especially if agriculture is given. This is not too much for a symmetrical development of the pupil, providing the rest of the pupil's course of studies is well selected.

It is time now to consider the course of study, though what I may have to say can only be tentative and point the way. The real course must be adapted to the local conditions of the school.

I have already intimated that the first year's work in science should be preparatory in character and based on material within the pupil's experience. Since physiology is required for ten weeks, at least, it will be the part of wisdom to make provision for it in the plans, and make it a component part of the scheme. I would give a half year to the subject and devise a laboratory or demonstration course to accompany it, consisting of experiments to make clear the fundamental principles of science underlying physiology rather than the technical experiments immediately concerned with the function of the body. Such a course has more meaning and interest to the pupils and is preparatory for work to follow. The emphasis of the text-book work should be placed on sanitation.

The second semester's work may be an extension of the work in physiology with more of general science in the laboratory course or physiography may now become the dominant notetaking physiography in a broad sense. The main features of such a course would center around the atmosphere and water and the soil, including the origin of the soil and the relation of plants and animals and physical agents to its formation and transportation. Botany, taken also in a broad way, may give the central theme for the second semester's work in science. In this case plant relations would be the dominant note-their relations to each other, to the soil, and to man's welfare. The first year's work in science would then consist of physiology and gen

eral science, or physiology and physiography, on physiology and plant relations, all to be given in a broad way with a laboratory course which shall explain fundamentals rather than technical relations.

In the second year botany or zoology should be begun in the regular courses but pupils who are to specialize in agriculture or domestic science should have an opportunity to begin chemistry either in the second year as a second science or in the third year if chemistry is coördinated with the applied science. Chemistry in any case should precede physics, because it is more fundamental. Those parts of physics needed in other departments should be developed in the first year's work in science. All applied science should be given in the later years of the curriculum, never earlier than the third year.

In closing it may be well worth while to give a moment to the new science group proposed by the principals of the high schools of Chicago for the new curriculum and recently adopted by the Board of Education of Chicago. It must be understood that this science group is only one of some eleven groups of courses from which pupils are to make their selection by groups. The first year's work is to include physiology a half year and physiography a half year. In the second and following years there are to be offered one and one half years each of botany, zoology, physics, and chemistry and a year of physiography. A half year of each of the first four is to be of a practical or applied nature. The student on reaching the second year may choose between the biological and the physical sciences. If he chooses the biological, he will take three years' work in these sciences and two years of the physical. If he chooses the physical, he will take three or four years of the physical and one or two years' work in biological science. In any event, he must have six years of science.

So far as I know this is the first time any secondary school has given systematically such opportunities in science. In any scientific course of studies, if it is to be worthy of the name, there should be opportunity for a second year's work in, at least, one physical and one biological science. There is no good reason why opportunity for advanced work should be given in business courses or in language courses and denied in the science courses. Science plays a large part in the affairs of man and should be given liberal treatment in any scheme of education. It is time for educators to throw off the narrow views of educa

tion that have hampered the schools so long and be more openminded toward educational problems. Such an attitude in educational affairs would go a long way toward solving some of the problems of life which are vexing us to-day.

LARGE APPROPRIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION BY A SOUTHERN STATE.

The state legislature of Arkansas has appropriated $350,000 for the erection of four agricultural schools and $500,000 additional has been raised by the cities. In the building and furnishing of the schools ideas suggested by the Stout Institute, of Menominee, will be largely used.

MEANINGLESS SCHOOL WORK NOT TO BE TOLERATED.

The day is fast passing when high school pupils will be required to do what to them is meaningless work simply because it is the custom. Neither will they be asked to do such work merely for some profound pedagogical principle which only the instructor may have in mind.-H. L. Terry, State Inspector of High Schools.

HISTORY OF COAL MINING.

Coal was first noted in the Coos Bay region about fifty years ago, Prof. J. S. Newberry having reported in 1855 that the coal deposits of Coos Bay had begun to attract attention. Some mining was done there in 1855 and 1872, and in 1876 two mines-the Eastport and the Newport-were in active operation. The Newport, however, was the only one to survive. The Beaver Hill mine was opened in 1895. This was at first an uncertain factor but is now one of the important producers.

COAL RESOURCES OF OREGON.

According to estimates prepared by M. R. Campbell of the United States Geological Survey, the total coal-bearing formations of Oregon are limited to an area of 230 square miles, the original contents of which are placed by Mr. Campbell at 1,000,000,000 short tons.

ENORMOUS PRODUCTION OF PETROLEUM.

The production of crude petroleum in California has increased from 33,098,598 barrels in 1906 to 39,748,375 barrels in 1907, to 44,861,742 barrels in 1908, and to 54,433,010 barrels in 1909. By far the larger part of this product is used as fuel and, estimating 31⁄2 barrels of petroleum as equivalent in efficiency to a ton of coal, the total production of California petroleum in 1909 was equivalent to more than 15,500,000 tons of bituminous coal. California's petroleum production in 1909 was larger than the entire output of the United States in any year prior to 1896. Petroleum is a better steam-raising fuel than coal, requires no fireman, and produces no dust, cinders, or ashes, and it is not remarkable that coal mining in the state is at a disadvantage.

PHYSIOLOGY AND SEX HYGIENE FOR GIRLS IN THE TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL, CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BY ANNA C. ARBUTH NOT,

Technical High School, Cleveland, Ohio.

The growing interest in the teaching of sex hygiene is indicated by the increasing number of courses in this work offered in the schools throughout the country. Because of the comparative newness of the instruction it is well that a number of teachers describe their methods with a view to securing through a combination of the suggestions the best plan of handling the subject. For this reason a statement of the scheme for taking up sex hygiene with the girls in the Cleveland Technical High School is presented.

The work is a part of the freshman science for girls which consists of botany and physiology. Nominally they are separate but virtually the botany and physiology are closely related parts of the same course-a course in the study of life. Botany precedes human physiology, because a knowledge of the processes of life may be more easily approached through a study of plants. One of the difficulties of teaching a science in the freshman year is the lack of a scientific vocabulary. The pupil who has been studying botany comes to physiology with the necessary terms acquired, in part, and used in the two relationships they have a fullness of meaning not possible when learned only in connection with one subject. For example, after the study of cell breathing in plants the pupil easily gets the idea that respiration in the human organism is not simply "inhalation and exhalation" but is essentially the interchange of gases in every living cell in the body and that the lungs and circulatory system are necessary to breathing only because the body is such a complicated organism. As with the term "respiration" so it is with other terms as "digestion," "assimilation," "reproduction," and "living cell." They carry a more definite significance.

In a study of life a knowledge of the living cell is essential, and the best forms with which to teach its structure are the lowest. The pleurococcus is used to show that every living cell is filled with protoplasm organized into a nucleus and cytoplasm, Simple cell division also is taught with this plant. This simple cell division which consists of the division of the nucleus into two nuclei with the formation of a wall between to make two cells is the fundamental step after fertilization in all higher reproduction.