The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-03-27
STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
MATHEMATICS.

ed in the course of this college are
only such as are found TO be adapted
to schools of this kind and includes, of
the pure mathematics, algebra, geom-
etry, trigonometry, analytical geometry
and calculus, and of the applied, sur
veying, leveling and road-making.
The last three constitute the engineer
ing department.
There seems to be an indistinct idea
as to the object of teaching the pure
mathematics in an agricultural college.
AS for example what use Is there in
the student employing his time in the
study of geometry unless he is making
mathematics specially?
The objects are twofold, first to train
the mind; and second, to teach prlnci-
pies which are to be used in practical
work. To understand fully geomet
rical demonstration, more than SIM
pie memorizing of the text IS neces-
sary. There must be hard, dlligent
study expended. The reasoning facul-
ties are brought into use and from
practice become strengthened. This
process of reasoning is applied, as in
logic and unconsciously the student be-
comes trained to grasp ideas and hold
them up before the mind, to make
comparisons, and draw correct conclu
sions Thus the student gains more
confidence in himself, feeling that he
has a better capacity to deal with in
tricate problems, not strictly confined
to curved and straight lines.
Throughout mathematics there are
certain principles which unite all in
connected whole. The omission of one
destroys the chain of reasoning. 1t is
not sufficient to go through demon
stratlon, passively asserting to each
step. The underlying principles are
to be so thoroughly understood that
practical application can be made of
each. Rules are largely special and
only admit of application to parti Gu
lar cases, while principles are general
and are more universal. A student of
rules is at loss when encountering
cases not strictly contormatory. But
he who understands principles finds no
difficulty in their application.
A certain proposition in geometry
may seemingly be of no utility in sur
veying, but upon closer investigation
it is discovered that it is the key
which unlocks another having an obyi-
GUS connection.
It is the object of this department
to lead the student into original inves-
tigation and to teach him to think and
reason for himself
~. A knowledge of surveying, leveling
and road-making is of particular value
to the farmer. The time has been
when men, who could use a compass,
were regarded as having superior intel
ligence; but that time has passed.
Modern inventions in surveying in
struments have reduced the work of
the operator to a minimum, in that
the instrument does the greater part of
the work itself.
On farm there is often work of
simpler nature left undone because of
the expense of procuring a surveyor;
but with the instructions which this
gives to the young man,
Ire is enabled to run out his own lines
and locate and build his own drains.
The coming necessity of using tiles
as means of drainage makes it in
cumbent upon the farmer to know how
to correctly locate the drains, accurate
ly establish the grades and properly
lay the tile.
If our roads are to be true indices
of the material prosperity of our
country they must be in the hands of
men who understand their construc-
tion.
The present laws of the state are
such that the farmer is made the SUI
pervisor of the road. While a better
plan might be suggested, that of ap-
pointing an engineer to superintend
the work and making the tax payable
in cash, yet this would be somewhat in
advance of the times and the present
system must suffice But until this
change can be wrought, the best that