PROGRESS Tisr AGRT( ULTURAL EDUCATION. ()17 



stud^'iiif^ tlic loss of plant food, aiid <4Mvin«4' coiK-lusioiis as to the 

 infliuMu-e of a ccrtuiii s\'.steni of fanniiii^ on the soil liooks arc k(*[)t 

 in single and double entry and practical exercises in farm practic«'- are 

 given. 



In the course in forestry rural economy as taught has reference to 

 the yalue and management of forests, and in the course in ag!"icultural 

 engineering the object of the lectures given is to impress upon the 

 student the importance of always considering and undertaking from 

 an economical standpoint. 



OERMAXV. 



The subject of rural economy at the Royal Agricultural High 

 School, at Berlin, is taught l)y means of lectures in the class room and 

 b}' delil)eration and discussions in the seminar. The class-room work 

 consists of lectures on economic problems in their relation to agricul- 

 ture, on rural jurisprudence, and on such phases of legislation as are 

 of interest and importance to tlie farmer, surveyor, and agricultural 

 engineer. A total of four hours per week is devoted to the lectures 

 on all the different topics. In addition to this class-room work in the 

 high-school, students attend lectures at the university on such subjects 

 as finance, socialism, protection, free trade, etc. The plan of the 

 course presupposes a thorough knowledge of the principles of eco- 

 nomics. 



The economic semijiar was organized in 1SS9. It has continuously 

 increased from tiie beginning in intiuence and numerical strength, and 

 its average number of members at the present time is about seventy. 

 Its membership is composed of regular students of the school, post- 

 graduates, pei'sons pursuing work in jurisprudence, political economy, 

 philosophy, and history, and judges and other government officials 

 whose work falls within this sphere. The seminar convenes once a 

 week and has two-hour sessions. 



The purpose of the seminar is to deepen the knowledge gained from 

 class-room work and lectures, and to prepare the members for origi- 

 nal investigation of economic pi'oblems. Each student is recpnred to 

 write a dissertation on some subject, usually of his own choice, and to 

 lecture on the same before the seminar. Aftei- the subject has been 

 presented it is taken up for discussion by the members. This work 

 is supplemented by excursions to factories, estates, laboring comnm- 

 nities, eleemosynary institutions, and other establishments which are 

 of economic, social, or ])olitical interest. The seminar is provided 

 with a library containing numerous works on agricultural, statistical, 

 and economic subjects. 



The methods of the seminar are considered more effective than the 

 ordinary course of lectures, and also l)etter adapted to pi'cpaie the 

 student for original work and to lead him into the investigatiini of 



