1S4 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 22, 1912 



For the guidance of candidates in their reading, 

 a leaflet has been published by the Depjirtment, con- 

 taining ?, syllabus of the subjects of exaininar.ion, in so 

 far as this is concerned with the more tlieoretical purts 

 of the work. The principal contents of this were first 

 published in the H'exi Indhin Bulletin, Vul. IX, 

 pp.293-6: the matter was,however,revised considernbly, 

 for inclusion in ihe leaflet, as experience gained in 

 conducting the examinations had indicntpd the expedi- 

 ency of making such a revis'ou. It may be added that 

 the leaflet contains lists of books that will be found 

 useful by the candidate, though there is no intention 

 to limit his reading to these; they are mentioned in 

 order to assist him in making a comprehensive choice 

 of agricultural literature that is of a more specially 

 educational nature. 



Further aid is given to candidates by the inclusion, 

 in the A(jrlcultural Neics, of the feature designated 

 as the Students' Corner, which has appeared con- 

 tinuously since October 190S. In this, the assis- 

 tance given to the student is intended to possess 

 a more special relation to his practical work, and 

 in order shortly to indicate its scope, quotation 

 may be made from the introductory article, as 

 follows: 'Iq this space there will be put forward hints 

 and suggestions concerning the serious objects of 

 study and observation together with questions which 

 students should endeavour to answer. Notes on season- 

 able events of agricultural importance in the different 

 colonies will also be a frequent feature in this column.' 

 More recently, the questions given in the different 

 stages have been chosen to apply to the fame subjects, 

 so that some idea may be afforded as to the scope of 

 the knowledge required in each of those stages. 



These stages — Preliminary, Intermediate and 

 Final — of the examination are not only arranged to 

 correspond with the increase in the knowledge that is 

 expected from candidates, but are intended to possess 

 an intimate relation to their experience and progress 

 as practical planters. In pursuance of this, as is 

 explained in the syllabus, the special purpose of the 

 Preliminary Examination is to enquire into the ade- 

 quacy of the general knowledge and education of the 

 candidate in relation to his fitness to enter the plant- 

 ing profession. Proceeding, the standard of the Intermed- 

 iate Examination is such as to require the knowledge of 

 planting work and of the principles of agriculture that 

 should be possessed by an intelligent overseer of 

 a few vearp' experience. Lastly, for success in the 

 Yinaf] lEx<^(ninatioD, the knowledge expected is that in 



the possession of a man who is capable of being 

 entrusted with the managetttent of an estate. In enter- 

 ing upon, and passing through, the course, students 

 mu:it register their names with the chief Agricultural 

 Officer in the island in which they live, for transm'S- 

 sion to the Head Office of the Department, and take 

 the examinations in the order in which they have j isti 

 been named. 



Emphasis has just been laid on the practical nature 

 that it is intended the Courses of Reading shall possess. 

 It is easy to understand that if they are to bear this 

 character in an adequate degree, the Intermediate and 

 Final Examinations must themselves be essentially prac- 

 tical in kind. There was early realization that this con- 

 dition could not be fulfilled to any extent if the sole 

 means of examining candidates was to consist in papers 

 of questions to be answered under the formal and 

 limi'ed circumstances of a written examination. In 

 order, therefjre, to make the examinations sufficiently 

 practical in nature, those of the Intermediate and Final 

 Stages are conducted with the co-operation of planters 

 of standing, in each colony, who have courteously sub- 

 jected canditates to an oral test which is usually 

 carried out on <an estate, or similar place presenting 

 conditions with which the candidate is familiar. Ira 

 cases of success, the certificates issued by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture have to be signed by the 

 planter examiners before they are presented to candi- 

 dates; without such signatures they are invalid, and 

 the fact that they bear them is the only adequate 

 testimony that their possessors have shown sufficient 

 practical knowledge to be included in the class ia 

 which they are stated to have passed. 



As has been indicated already, meetings of 

 students have been arranged in the past by Agricul- 

 tural Officers, in some of the islands, for the ptirpose of 

 giving useful aid, when the scheme was new. Valua- 

 ble work has been done by those officers in this way, 

 but it has not been intended to provide anything ia 

 the nature of regular courses of lectures for students. 

 The scheme has been in operation for a period that is 

 sufficiently long for students to be independent of such 

 outside help: although there is no reason why it should 

 not be given if circumstances permit. In any case, the 

 services of the local Agricultural Officers are always 

 available, where they are required in suggesting lines 

 of study, answering questions, or in giving other, simi- 

 lar assistance. 



Returning to the general consideration of the 

 scheme, the matter would not be complete ifvithout the 



