that at Troy the period is divided into three divisions; a given course proceeds with a recitation every day until the course is completed, and it may or may not occupy all of the time given up to advance work; it may be a course only two weeks long, or thirteen weeks long; but at the end of a certain time all advance work is stopped, and a period of review work is begun, which is likewise recitation work, during which the instructor does not explain very much. This review period is of such length as to permit one lesson or one exercise for each week in advance. At the end of this period examinations are held, and this occurs twice each year. The instructors differ as to the character of their examinations. Of course, where recitations are heard every day, it is not difficult to find out what a student knows, and students who have done very well are frequently passed with a nominal examination, largely oral. Oftentimes, too, there are written examinations of the kind described by Professor Flather-examinations in the morning in which no helps are allowed, and examinations in the afternoon, lasting, usually, all afternoon, in which all the helps desired are allowed.

LABORATORY NOTES AND REPORTS.

BY FRANCIS C. CALDWELL,

Professor of Electrical Engineering, Ohio State University.

This paper is written chiefly with the hope of developing some discussion upon the questions involved.

It would appear that relatively too much stress is often laid upon the shape in which laboratory notes are handed in, rather than upon the form in which they are taken down. My observations have led me to believe that the scientific departments are most often at fault in this, while on the other hand the civil engineers are the most exacting in their requirements with regard to original notes. It is of course well understood that the copying of notes adds to the chance for error, and that in legal cases the evidence of original notes is much more valuable than that of copies. In spite of this, however, we find students allowed to take their original notes in some cast-off note-book or even on scraps of paper, no attention at all being paid by the instructor to this material which is then carefully and neatly copied and handed in looking like exercises from a copy-book. This condition of affairs seems to be largely due to the idea that neatness is a predominant virtue and that it cannot be obtained in sufficient degree in note-books used in the laboratory. Both of these propositions may well be disputed. Neatness should be insisted upon, but it is in the taking down of the notes that it is most important, and nothing is so little calculated to en

courage neatness at this point as the idea that the notes are to be copied, and the original ones discarded and perhaps even thrown away. It is furthermore surprising what a considerable degree of neatness can be obtained in note-books used in the laboratory, even when heavy machinery is being tested, if only sufficient stress is laid upon the necessity for it. Some pains, however, must be taken to make the conditions as favorable as possible to neatness, and one of the most important of these is the kind of note-book used. As a general thing if left to his own devices the average student may be relied upon to get a note-book which lends itself with the least grace possible to high standards of neatness. With him the largest number of pages for a nickel is generally the test for a good note-book, and the result will usually look shabby at the end of a month even if laid by on a shelf and let alone. For most purposes I am a firm believer in the slip system for note taking, but not in the laboratory. Here every record should be a permanent one and its elimination from the book should be made as difficult as possible. In choosing a style for our note-book we cannot do better than to follow pretty closely the standard form of field note-book of the civil engineer with its handy size, its substantial paper, its leather cover and its rounded corners, all of which points, though trivial, tend mightily toward neatness. Of course for most laboratory work the ruling of this book is not suitable and a simple cross place, with perhaps every

ruling may well take its fifth line a different color. I had the honor of describing a book of this sort to the Society some years ago,

which I understand has since then been adopted in several laboratories outside of our own institution, where its use is quite general. The cost of such a book as this, while not enough to be a burden to the student, is sufficient to give him a property interest, as it were, in its good condition. A very great help toward both carefulness and neatness is the fountain pen, which eliminates the smudge and makes it necessary to put down the right thing the first time. Another help is the slide-rule, which, apart from the other great advantage incident to its use, makes calculations in the note-book unnecessary, or if the sliderule is not available even a small logarithm table is much better than nothing. One of the most difficult points to impress upon a beginner in the engineering laboratory is the necessity for noting all the details of his test however seemingly unimportant. This is much easier to accomplish where the student is not expecting to copy his notes. The need for a special training in this matter of the note-book finds no better evidence than in the very difficulty which is generally experienced in getting students to regularly and conscientiously make use of such note-book for their original notes. This disinclination to use the notebook which he must exhibit to his instructor, for the hurried insertion of more or less rough notes and results, which may have to be discarded, is indeed a very natural one and to overcome this, as well as to give the student correct ideas with regard to the use of his note-book, he should be taught that it is for his private use, and that while it should always be in such shape that it can if necessary be produced in

evidence, it is not primarily for public inspection. and that when the instructor examines it he examines it as a private record, and not in any way as a report on the work. In order to further carry out this idea, it is well to have the student make reports upon all or a part of his work, as based upon the results recorded in his note-book, even going so far as to address the report as he would to a client. For their reports, blanks may well be used to some extent, but I believe there is such a thing as going too far in the use of separate and detailed blanks for every kind of test. It does not give the student quite brain work enough in laying out and planning his notes. That some special detailed blanks are very desirable for the purpose of familiarizing the student with such methods of recording tests is not to be questioned, but for the majority of his work, I believe that the student should be given quite a general form of blank and obliged to fill in his own headings.

DISCUSSION.

PROFESSOR SMITH.-Professor Smith said that he had used, for several years, a combination of notebook, report slips and final reports. His practice, he explained, had been to have the student obtain a suitable book in which to record all the data which he obtains in the laboratory and also any notes he may make during his experiments. As much of these data as is considered necessary is copied into his final report which is made after each experiment is completed upon special paper and forms. The original note-book is handed in, on request, for examination.