The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-23

ESTABLISHMENTS OF agricultural ana inecntn- III
| ical colleges inaugurated change In the n
method OF Instruction and In the trend Of
| education The dead languages have been
| supplanted to great extent, by studies 1
more closely allied to the particular bust
ness the student Is expected to follow, aud 1
they are taught only when necessary to
n correct knowledge OF special subjects
| prescribed In the course Of study. The en-
deavOr Is made to combine theory with |
| practice and to put theoretical knowledge |
| to practical use. People uuacquainted |
with the method OF instruction In technical |
colleges are disposed 10 dIscredlt It's prac-
teal value but those who have had oppor- !
tunities TO determihc Its worth know that
the graduate in the science of agriculture |
and mechanic art, like the graduate in |
| literature law or medicine, Is thrice !
equipped for his life-work Instead Of
hunting for Latin roots and conjugating |
Greek verbs. the student OF the Agricul- |
turnl aud Mechanical college puzzles his (
brain over the slide valve; for Ciceros |
oratons are substituted the pillow boys |
morning song and virgils Aeneid Is sup
! planted by the poetry found In the ever |
unfolding processes OF nature as set forth |
in the studies Of entomology and botany.
~
In this connection. and as showing the |
careful manner in which affairs at the col.
lege are handled, a conversation had with |
Prof n, II. Price OF the department OF hor-
| ticultnre and botany by representative |
Of The Post who accompanied the party to |
College Station on Tuesday. may be inter-
esting The design Of the course presided
ever by Prof. Price is TO give young men
thorough scientific and practical educa- |
tion with especial reference 10 the indus !
tries of fruit growing and truck farming. |
! The student uses a compound microscope
In studying the various component parts OF
| plants, such as root, stem, leaf and fruit. |
Special stress Is laid on the physiology Of |
pant growth. as showing how the various
plants live and propagate themselves. An
| extensive course is taught In the scientific
| Investigation OF plant diseases and the APP
| pication OF all known remedies for these
diseases. The various insects which fire.
quently inJure so large portion OF diff |
| ferent crops are studied. together with
The best known preventives. The student
in this department is not only taught the
various sciencea pertaining to the hOrti-
cultural industry, but a good education in
English, mathematics, physics chemistry.
/ etc.. Is obtained. Recently the United
States department of agriculture estab-
| lisbed branch forestry experiment sta
ton at the college under the control OF
the horticuturist, which serves to give
some practical demonstrations of forestry
| principles In the study OF the subject The
| legislature, recognizing the great import
ance OF entomology to the State recently
passed a bill creating the office OF State
entomologst the work OF the department
being thus divided. The fact tina, the mat
ter Of diversified farming is assuming vast
proportions In Texas at the present lime
makes the work OF the department all the
more important. The demand for the bull
letins issued has been 80 great as to prac-
tically exhaust the number Of each edition
II
department help to carry on the various
experiments in fruit growing aud truck
farming and thus become familiar with the
field conditions OF orchard. vineyard and
vegetable culture A full set of all the
horticultural botanical and chronological
bulletins Issued by the United States ex-
pertinent stations are kept on iile, together
with recent scientific works bearing on the
subjects taught. The head OF the lepart-
, ment was recently appointed chairman Of
: Il committee at the meeting OF the Ma
, tional Association of Colleges and Stations
to test the adaptabllity of the races of
\ peaches, llrst botancally described by Prof
Price, to the various thermal lines OF tho
United States. II will thus be seen that
some of the work is nos only OF import
{ ance to the State, but Is assuming National
!, Importance.
Drawing forms an important factor in a
, technical education, and, therefore, sepa-
rate department has been provided for its
instruction at the college under the dlrec-
- tlon OF Prof r. e. Glesecke. The drawing
. rooms are equipped with oghty-ilye sets
a OF drawing Instruments. scales, triangles
] and tee squares. tho use of which Is fur
1 nished the students free OF charge, 80 that
they need only buy the materials they use,
/ which are sold in The college book store at
o cost
The course of instruction In drawing ex-
Z tends over four years. During the first
! year free hand drawing,s taught from the
fiat during the second year tree-h hand
, craving is taught from tn solid, and me-
+ chanical drawing covering simple exer-
risesj, lettering and proiections during the
, third year descriptive geometry Is taught
and eXemplted by numerous problems, in
4 Guiding a series In shades and shadows;
this Is followed with working drawings
, OF parts OF machinery. bridges or buildings.
exercises in tracing and hue printing, and
iscmetric drawing during the fourth year
q course in linear perspective and one in
Uniting Is given after that the students
! make working drawings OF machines.
y bridges or buildings, the subjects beng
selected with view OF teaching the stu
dent as much as possible OF the methods
= OF construction used In those branches in
: WI ioh he is especially Interested.
> number of the graduates OF the coll
. lcks nave SbtuTSu employment as uTduSntS-
+ men IN engineering and architectural Of
r fices, and It is hoped that as the college
q becomes better known to the engineering
y fraternity opportunities for such employ
y ment will increase.
4 ~
A The motive power men 10 the party which
: visited the college Tuesday last were all
e very much interested IN the machine shops
Mr.. S. II. Tuggle superintendent of mo-
q tive power and machinery for the Hous-
n ton and Texas Central was SO much Inn
:. pressed With what he saw there that he
S will endesyor to put a locomotive ut IN,
y disposal OF the students provided a spu'
n is built from the station to the machine
2. shops and barns. This VIII tend to give
s the students a practical knowledge OF To-
h. connective engineering and determined ei
j fort to build the spur and secure the en-,
. CINE Will be made.
? ~
/. The visit of the members OF The Rdilwa,
y club and their friends hal social as wei
: as a business side. The reception glver
4 at the residence OF President Foster and
: the ball in the new mesa hall at night