25 



The total expense for the 3^ear 1903 was about $150,000, of which 

 alxnit ^-l-'2,50() was from Government orant throiio-h the minister of 

 at,nicultiiro and the hahince l)y eontributions by the provinces and 

 districts and ])y the local agricultural organizations. 



NETHERLANDS. 



Each of the eleven provinces of the Netherlands has an agricultural 

 societ3\ There is also in the Kingdom a ccntial council of.agriculture, 

 composed of representatives electi'd l)y the various provincial societies. 

 This central council, which meets periodically at The Hague, endeavors 

 not only to improve the agriculture of the coimtry directly by offering 

 suggestions to the subordinate provincial soci(?ties, but also acts as the 

 adviser in agricultural affairs of the ministry under whose direction 

 the department of agriculture is placed. The wisdom and influence 

 of this central council are recognized by the State to the extent that 

 no important measure affecting agriculture is undertaken by the min- 

 istry without the advice and consent of the council. 



In each of the provinces there is also a State professor of agricul- 

 ture, whose duties are to deliver lectures on agriculture, to inspect 

 jind direct the State experiment stations, of which there arc five; to 

 inspect the winter agricultural courses, and to provide instruction for 

 primary school-teachers who desire to obtain agricultural certificates. 



There are two kinds of agricultural winter schools. One is local 

 or permanent, and is n)aintained by the provincial agricultural society, 

 aided by the State; the other is migratory. The permanent schools 

 send out itinerant teachers, who give courses of. instruction to farmers, 

 who meet and organize classes in the various centers much after the 

 manner practiced in Belgium. The courses of study for these mov- 

 able schools are arranged with a view to the presentation of a single 

 topic and for continuing its discussion until a reasonably thorough 

 acquaintance with the subject has been had by the members of the 

 class. The courses are also sufficiently numerous to embrace the most 

 important subjects of agricultural operj^tion, a separate course and 

 school being organized for each. 



The experiment fields and gardens which the Government has estab- 

 lished all over the country, and to which reference has been made, are 

 utilized by the itinerant teachers in their instruction work, who visit 

 them frequently with their classes and observe the results of the various 

 experiments as they develop. 



These movable schools of Holland have been found to be a most 

 effective means for conveying instruction in agriculture to the homes 

 of the people. They bring the experience and observation of men of 

 large acquaintance with agricultural affairs to the attention and aid of 

 those Avhose occupation and surroundings have limited their knowledge 

 of farming largely to what has been practiced in their own communities. 



