36 PKOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



teachers and others can qualify themselves to conduct agricultural classes ; (b) grants 

 are given to such qualified teachers ; (c) scholarships are offered to students ; {d) a full 

 agricultural course is about to be established at the Royal School of Mines. 



In England there are the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, and the College 

 of Agriculture, Downton, near Salisbury, both of which have farms attached to the 

 colleges, aud impart practical instruction. There are also several schools. The Royal 

 Agricultural Society gives scholarships, and grants certificates and diplomas. 



In Scotland, the report of the Standing Committee of Council to the general meeting 

 of members in June last, shows clearly what is done by the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society, the disappointing feature in the report being the very small number of 

 diploma and certificate holders —fifty-two and sixteen respectively. In Glasgow, an 

 Agricultural College in connection with the Veterinary College has been started, and 

 is now in its second winter session ; but as yet the classes are not well attended. 

 There is a farm in connection with this college about six miles ofi", but within easy 

 access by train every half hour, on which the practical work is explained to the students. 

 The ordinary course extends over two years ; but there is also a shorter course in con- 

 nection ^\ith the Science and Art Department. In Aberdeen a Central Technical School 

 of Agriculture was established some five or six years ago, and for the first three years 

 it appeared to be progressing satisfactorily under the able superintendence of Mr. A. T. 

 Jamieson. This school was last year brought under the notice of the members of our 

 Society by Colonel Innes. AiTangements had been made for a higher course of instruc- 

 tion, and funds would have been forthcomijig, but as a sufiicient number of students 

 did not come forward, it was decided in August last to suspend operations — a very dis- 

 couraging state of matters, and very much to be regretted. 



In Ireland there appears to be a much more systematic gradation of agricultural 

 education, and much more control and assistance given by Government. The first 

 principles of agriculture are taught in the national schools. A considerable number of 

 these have small farms attached. There are a certain number of model schools with 

 farms attached ; while for higher education there is the college at Glasnevin, entirely 

 supported by the State, at which the farm plays an important part, and last year 

 yielded a very good retura. Admissions to the college are of three classes — 1. Free 

 resident students, 25 are admitted each year by competitive examination ; 2. Paying 

 resident students, 25 in number, who pay £7, lOs. per half year ; 3. Extern students, 

 who board and lodge themselves, paying a tuition fee of £2 per quarter. The practical 

 instruction embraces gardening, small and large farm cultivation and management, and 

 the students take part in every farm operation. 



The committee have had the benefit of Professor Wilson's opinion, who thinks 

 greater publicity should be given to the scholarships and bursaries offered by the 

 Highland and Agricultural Society, as he thinks that if more Avidely known, and more 

 fully taken advantage of, the present University course meets, in the meantime, exist- 

 ing wants. He is strongly opposed to the idea of a college farm. 



At the request of the committee, Dr Aitken also submitted his views in writing,^ of 



which the following are extracts : — " No scheme for the propagation of scientific 



knowledge among our farmers can be satisfactory that does not especially provide for 

 the better education of the rising generation of farmers. Agriculture is now a science, 

 or rather the application of a number of sciences, and requires for its proper compre- 

 hension as wide a range of scientific knowledge as any learned profession Nothing 



but a college specially organised and equipped for the training of agriculturists, is 

 capable of affording young farmers, or intending farmers, the means of acquiring, in a 

 direct and thorough-going manner, the knowledge which is now necessary to the 

 proper understanding of the scientific principles upon which the varied practice of 



agriculture rests And if such an institution could be founded, whether by 



private beneficence, piiblic subscription, or Government endowment, or all three com- 

 bined, it would be the greatest boon that could be bestowed on the farmers and landed 

 proprietors of this country. " 



In the opinion of the committee, the system of agricultural education in Scotland 

 fails at both ends. The first principles should be taught in elementary schools, at any 

 rate in rural districts, which would form the first grade. Scholars would thus be pre- 

 pared to take advantage of the Science and Art Department classes, forming the 

 second grade. But the weakest part of our system seems to be in the higher education 

 in colleges. The charges at the English colleges are so high as to be beyond the means 

 of the ordinary farmer class in Scotland, for whom such instruction is most needed. 

 The course at the Edinburgh University does not appear to meet the difficulty, it only 

 embraces the principles of agriculture, and without either practical instruction, or 

 teaching of the kindred subjects which students are required to pass for our Society's 

 certificates or diploma. This may possibly answer as regards normal teaching, but it 

 Seems of little use as regards higher agricultural education, in which theory and practice 

 should be combined. So that, while fully admitting that the classes imder the Science 

 and Art Department, and the course at the Edinburgh University, may be doing good 



