The Helena independent., 1894-12-10
Departments Of Agriculture and Botany.

| btpMHnon9 OF NkUSultuTo ana botAny.
To the President; Sir-Under the
present arrangement OF the studies In
the college courses, classes In botany
and agriculture viii not ho organized
untll the coming spring term, My time
Is. therefore. now given To instruction
In other departments where assistance
is most needed.
By "A change In the course OF study.
made az the close OF last term, the sub
iect OF botany was set forward from the
freshman 10 the sophomore year. Under
this arrangement, last springs class,
numbering twenty-one members, COM
pletrd only descriptive botany. the work
In microscopic botany being deferred
until the beginning OF another year
THIS division of my work Is now well
equipped for instruction In all botanical
] lines, Ten LletG compound microscopes
with all modern accessories were re-
Gently imported from Germany Tor lab
Oratory use In addition Il has disscct-
ing microscopes. "A micrutome. a micro
photographs apparatus, lenses for class
room use, and a complete supply Of APP
paratus for collecting. and materials
for preserving herhArium specimens.
The herbarium presented To the col
lege by the state worlds fair commits
sion has been largly extended during
the past season and many duplicates
secured for the purpose Of exchange,
There is also IN the college library a
very complete set OF reference books,
including such volumes RS have been
issued of the celebrated North American
sylvia now In course ~ publication.
Needs OF the department. For the di-
vision OF botany, "A room suitable for
laboratory work is the pressing need.
Such a room is not only necessary for
student use, but is also essential TO the
special work OF the department In con-
nectluu with the herbarum and I'm the
preparation and preservation Of materl-
ais for class use.
When instruction begins in the indus
trial subjects of the course, the agri-
cultural department of the college
should have on the farm, as much in
the way OF illustration as conditions
win permit The farm with It's ami
mails, buildings and crops is the labor
atory OF this department, and is fully
as essential TO the successful study OF
agricultural subjects a. is the chemical
laboratory &c the study of chemistry,
In many instances the same animal
may serve both college and station. the
one for Illustration, the other FOR eX-
perimentation. The department ought
therefore, to have, as early as possi-
BILE, representatives Of at least two
prominent breeds Of horses, three of
cattle. two OF sheep and two OF swine.
Preparatory arithmetic: The class
which at the beginning OF the term
numbered less than twenty, has grad
ually increased until its membership is
now more than fifty Since there is
no recitation room at my command
large enough TO accommodate so many
IL has for some time been necessary 10
instruct the class in two sparate di-
visions
The subjects taken up thus far in the
term embrace practical measurements,
percentage, stocks, commission, broker
age. profit and loss, interest, partial
payments and discount.
Freshmen English Since the organ
ization OF the college | have given In
struttion to the freshman classes in
composition and rhetoric.
The present class numbers thirty. Its
work in composition this term has been
entirely in the line of narration. in
cluding biography and history and de-
scriptun, using Newcomer recent
work as a guide.
Rhetoric was taken up somewhat
later in the term and alternates with
composition. The time SO far has been
given 10 a study of rules relative 10 the
proper use OF words and 90 writing and
correcting exercises, in hitting words
to ideas, adapting them TO the reader
and conforming them To good usage.
Genungs New Outlines Is used as a
text. Respectfully submitted.
LUTHER FOSTER.