Vol. XL No. 276. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



381 



STUDENTS' CORNER. 



AGRICULTURAL EXAMINATIONS. 



The Preliminary Examination in connexion with the 

 Courses of Reading in Practical Agriculture, 1912, of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, was held on October 28. 

 Four candidates presented tliemselves for examination — two 

 in Grenada and two in Antigua — and all were successful, the 

 individual results being as follows: — 



Centre. Name. Result. 



Grenada 

 Antigua 



The questions set in the examination were reproduced 

 in the last number of the Agrirultural Xeivs, p. 365. It will 

 be well to review here the answers given to those chosen by 

 candidates. 



The first question was generally attempted by candidates, 

 and in only one case was a fairly good description given of 

 the experiment required; in most instances the method 

 suggested for collecting the oxygen involved its mixture 

 with a large amount of air, so that the detection of its 

 addition would have been impossible by the usual simple 

 means; an account of a form of experiment for the purpose 

 may be found on pages 74 and 75 of the last edition 

 of Nature Teachimj. Fair answers to question 2 were 

 received, but sufficient stress was not laid on the importance 

 of root hairs and the youngest parts of the roots in 

 relation to water absorption. The answers to question 3 

 that were given all required carefully drawn diagrams, but in 

 only one case were these not totally inadequate and slipshod. 

 It may be said at once, indeed, that nearly all the papers 

 showed weakness in the matter of providing simple 

 illustrations to the answers to questions, notwithstanding the 

 stress that was laid, in the last of the instructions to 

 candidates printed on the examination paper, on the 

 importance of supplying these wherever they may be of use. 

 Some of the best of the answers were received to question 5, 

 though in some cases confusion of ideas led to repetition; the 

 use of sand for lightening clay soil (especially in horticultural 

 and nursery work) should not be forgotten. The replies to ques- 

 tion 6 were good as far as they went, except for the feeble draw- 

 ings; attention was not paid however to the request for a full 

 account of the process of budding, so that the preparation of 

 budding tape (or of grafting wax) was often omitted, and 

 there was hardly any reference to the after-treatment of the 

 budded plant. Fair replies were received, to question 7, and 

 it was recognized that this may be answered in a number of 

 ways The choice exercised in answering question 8 showed 

 that there is weakness among candidates in their knowledge 

 of animal physiology. The ansvpers to question 9 sometimes 

 showed that the words 'in nature' were not considered when 

 it was read A more important matter regarding this ques- 

 tion, however, and one that requires most careful attention, 

 is that in all the answers, the nitrifying organisms were cited 

 as agencies for increasing the amount of nitrogen in the soil. 

 They are not, and the nitrifying action including in order 

 putrefactive changes — ammonia formation— .-nitrite formation 

 — nitrate formation, results in some loss rather than in gain 

 of nitrogen. The nitrogen is made easily available for 

 plants, by the process, but none of the element is added to 

 the soil. 



Poor answers to question 1 1 were received, except in one 

 case. The confusion that exists in the minds of candidates 

 as to the structure and action of the heart of mammals could 

 be greatly reduced by the examination of a sheep's heart — 

 easily obtained — in the light of what they have read or heard 

 about the matter. Question 1 2 was answered inadequately, 

 and little or no attention was paid to the part that the liver 

 and pancreas take in connexion with the process of digestion. 

 Lastly, among the questions mostly attempted, number 13 

 .should have been given far better answers than were 

 received, and here again the diagrams submitted were gene- 

 rally quite inadequate; while in replying to such a question, 

 it is always best to make the answer relate strictly to one 

 definitely chosen flower. 



Reference to the questions not mentioned has been kept 

 to the last, as none of these was attempted by any of the 

 candidates. In the case of number 4, it may be that they 

 have not had many opportunities for the detailed examination 

 of a plough, and the drawing of its various parts; though 

 this is a matter of importance that should not receive further 

 neglect. The same may be said of question 10. Candidates 

 should refer frequently and carefully to the syllabus of 

 subjects for the examination, which, while its intention is not 

 to limit the field of their knowledge, will help them to make 

 that knowledge complete as far as it is required and give 

 them a greater scope when dealing with questions that they 

 may be asked. 



The following were the questions set in the paper on 

 (Jeneral Agricultural Science in the Intermediate Examina- 

 tion, held on November 1 1 last; not more than eight were to 

 be attempted, and among these, numbers ten and either 

 eleven or twelve had to be included: — 



(1) Give an account of some form of tillage with which 

 you are acquainted, and say how tillage benefits the soil. 



(2) How is the nitrogen of the air made available to 

 plants (a) naturally, (b) artificially^ 



(3) Write a description of the way in which a given 

 kind of seed is stored, that has to be used later for planting 

 purposes, and say how you would conduct a germination test 

 of seed. 



(4) Describe with careful sketches any stem that you 

 have examined, stating how the different parts are suited 

 specially to do the work that is required of them. 



(5) Mention all the uses, with which you are acquainted, 

 of the rotation of crops. 



(6) Give a description of the manner in which any arti- 

 ficial manure of which you have knowledge is obtained, and 

 supply instances where you have seen it used. 



(7) In what ways are soils formed? How would you 

 show by means of a .simple experiment what different classes 

 of substances usually exist in soils? 



(8) Show by means of careful description and sketches 

 how any plant that you may choose is grafted and budded. 



(9) What are the consequences of the presence of too 

 much water in the soil? For what reason may land be 

 flooded purposely, in agricultural practice? 



(10) State what is included among the soft parts of the 

 body of a mammal, and give the uses of all the structures or 

 organs that you mention. 



(11) Give a general description of any three orders of 

 insects, and mention tw.^ examples in each order that are of 

 agricultural importance. 



(12) Supply an account of any fungus causing plant 

 disease that you have had under observation, and suggest 

 measures for its control. 



