89 



erty, suppiemented l)y at least an equal amount from the department 

 funds. The salaries and expenses of all other instnutors are de- 

 frayed out of this joint fund, which is aihninistered l)y the rounty 

 committee. 



The itinerant instructors in agriculture are employed, as a rule, all 

 the year round. In some counties, however, the instructors in poultry 

 keeping, horticulture, l^ee keeping, etc.. are employed for nine months 

 of the year only. During the winter months the instructor is em- 

 ployed five evenings in the week in lecturing. He also replies to let- 

 ters from farmers in the county under his charge, Avho ask advice on 

 matters relating to farming operations, and visits during the daytime 

 farmers in the vicinity in which the lectures are held. The visits are 

 made for the purpose of enabling the instructor to acquaint himself 

 with the character of the farm land in the district nnder his charge, 

 thus enabling the lecturers to select suitable land for the purpose of 

 the variety and mannrial tests which they conduct during the spring 

 and summer months. These visits are also of value in providing 

 opportunity for farmers to consult an expert respecting the local 

 difficulties which affect them. 



The county committee is required to see that the instructor's time 

 is fully and properly employed, and that a short syllabus of each 

 lecture is prepared by the lecturer and distributed among the people. 



The assistant secretary of agriculture of Ireland reports that there 

 were at work on the ."^Ist day of ^larch, 1904, SO county instructors 

 distributed over 33 counties. The following table exhibits the char- 

 acter and extent of this work : 



Number of instructors in agricultural subjects at work in Ireland during the year 

 1903-4 c^id t^'^ number of lectures delivered and average attendance thereat. 



Scheme. 



Ayiriculture 



Poultry keeping 

 Butter making. - 



Horticulture 



Bee keeping 



Number dumber 

 at work, structors. 



14 

 31 

 10 

 U 

 18 



15 



32 



12 



a 14 



7 



Number 



of 

 lectures. 



1,159 



1,594 

 550 



Average 

 attend- 



90 

 52 

 70 

 60 



a Of these, 6 gave instruction in bee keeping also. 



The expense for conducting this work during the year amounted to 

 $152,855.24, of which amount $53,78().()2 was derived from the local 

 tax of 1 penny on the pound referred to, and $98,568.(>-2 from the 

 department funds. 



In addition to the courses of lectures delivered, the department 

 from time to time issues leaflets on agricultural subjects. These 

 leaflets are distributed free to applicants, and also to a regidar mail- 



