Ai^ricultiiral Educaiion in Ireland 



539 



lection of modern implements and machines. 

 The pupils are regularly changed from one 

 department to another, so that they may have 

 an opportunity of understanding the course 

 of management pursued in each case. A 

 '•special class" was organized three years 

 ago, composed of the most forward pupils, 

 and the members of that class are sent out 

 as working stewards to the provincial fkrms 

 of the Board, where they gain additional 

 knowledge and experience in the practical 

 details of farming, which will be of great advan- 

 tage to them in after life. The number of pupils 

 attending the institution at the date of last 

 report was 60, of which 58 were intern pupils, 

 and 2 extern. The schoolmasters who are in 

 training at the Board's central establishment 

 in Dublin, with the view of being appointed 

 to the charge of ordinary schools throughout 

 the country, also receive instruction in 

 practical agriculture at the Albert Institution. 

 The garden department includes a large 

 kitchen garden, a fruit garden, orchard house, 

 conservatory, vinery, &c., and a plot in which 

 plants are botanically arranged. The " spade 

 labour farm" of 5^ acres is divided into 

 four portions, which are cultivated on the fol- 

 lowing system : — ist year, turnips and man- 

 golds ; 2d, potatoes ; 3d, Italian r)-e grass ; 

 4th, oats. The Italian rye grass is sown in 

 autumn, as soon as the potatoes are lifted, and 

 the plants are strong enough before winter to 

 resist the frost. The grass is fit for cutting in 

 April, and from that time till the end of 

 autumn, it feeds three, and occasionally four, 

 milch cows, besides aftbrding some hay for 

 winter use. In the end of autumn mangold 

 leaves and soft turnips come into use, and are 

 followed by swedes and mangolds. By care- 

 ful management the portion in roots supports 

 the same number of cows until the grass is fit 

 for use. Any shortcoming in the feeding is 

 made up by mixing together chaffed hay and 

 straw with bran mashes ; cabbages and vetches 

 are also chaffed and mixed with bran mashes 

 or brewer's grains. The balance-sheet of this 

 small farm, for the year ending 3i5t March 

 1867, shews a balance of £,^"1. 15s. in 

 fiivour of the farm, which, however, 

 •• cannot be regarded as profit in the strict 



sense of the word," as the report properly 

 points out, no charge being made for the 

 free labour of the pupils. It appears, 

 however, that £\\, 2s. Q^^d. had been paid 

 for hired labour. I'he report states that 

 " the amount of pupils' labour expended on 

 the farm would represent the labour of a 

 small farmer and two lads. In other words, 

 the balance shewn, together with the portion 

 of the sum paid for hired labour, which could 

 be saved by the small farmer who had the 

 necessary labour in his own family, is the 

 amount which would be available for their 

 maintenance." The " intermediate farm" is 

 managed on a five course rotation, including 

 two years' grass, and a mixed system of 

 grazing and house-feeding is pursued during 

 summer. The statement of receipts and ex- 

 penditure shews a " balance in favour of 

 pupils' labour" on the farm, amounting to 

 _;^i26, i6s. 6>'2d., hired labour having cost, 

 during the year, ;^43, 14s. 9>^d. The 

 '• large farm" is chiefly managed on a four- 

 course rotation, a portion of it being 

 in permanent pasture. The balance in 

 favour of the large farm for the finan- 

 cial year already mentioned amounted to 

 ;^i48, 3s. TyA. ; the outlay for hired 

 labour during the year being p^2oi, t2s. 5d. 

 It will thus be seen that the farm department 

 of the Albert Institution has become self- 

 supporting, which was not the case at one 

 time, and the fact that it was not so gave 

 rise to some severe criticism on the man- 

 agement pursued. The improved state of 

 matters is owing, we have reason to believe, 

 to certain substantial alterations which have 

 been introduced since Mr Baldwin was ap- 

 pointed superintendent of the agricultural 

 department, and as these reforms, begun at 

 the head institution, have also been earned 

 out in the case of the agricultural schools 

 throughout the country, the returns from them 

 are now of a much more satisfactory nature 

 than they were some years ago. 



Objections have been raised against the 

 subdivision of the land attached to the Albert 

 Institution into small farms, but those who 

 object forget that the Board of National 

 Education has to deal with the circumstances 



