PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 223 



Wales, 42 ; at the Midland Agricultural and Dairy Institute, 61 ; at 

 Harper- Adams College, 13; and at the Essex County Technical 

 Laboratories, 30. 



In the appendix on "Education in Rural Districts — School Gar- 

 dens," detailed information is compiled from replies to thirty-three 

 questions sent by the board of agriculture and fisheries to the different 

 county councils. These questions and answers relate to gardens con- 

 nected with both day and evening schools and to the sources from 

 which land, funds, seeds, and tools are supplied; the total area in gar- 

 dens and the size of each plat ; the instructors, their training and com- 

 pensation; the number and ages of children doing garden work; the 

 time devoted to this work; systems of cropping; supervision; sys- 

 tems of prize giving; and disposal of products. From the replies 

 received, it appears that at least 32 counties have gardens connected 

 with day schools, and 22 counties maintain other gardens either con- 

 nected with evening schools or worked independently by boys and 

 young men. 



In the case of the day-school gardens, it appears that in most coun- 

 ties land and tools, and in a few counties seeds, are provided either 

 directly or indirectly by the county councils. The seeds are usually 

 provided by the local school authorities. The size of the gardens 

 ranges from one-eighth to one-fourth of an acre, and the size of the 

 individual plats from 1 to 3 square rods. Custom varies as to whether 

 each pupil shall have a separate plat or whether the land shall be 

 worked in common. The teachers of gardening are usually the head 

 teachers in the schools, who in many counties are required to have cre- 

 dentials of qualification for this work. Sometimes gardeners are 

 employed as instructors, though this arrangement is not very satis- 

 factory. The ages of the pupils in gardening range from 9 to 15 

 years, with comparatively few less than 1 1 years. Two hours a week 

 is given as the general average of time devoted to gardening. 



There is no general system of cropping or prize giving, and only a 

 few counties in which the work is under the supervision of a county 

 instructor in horticulture, though this last is considered highly desir- 

 able. The produce in some cases becomes the property of the boys, 

 in others it is disposed of by the school and the proceeds used for the 

 purchase of seeds or for the benefit of the class, and in others it is 

 taken by the teacher, though the latter practice is not commended. 



The agricultural instruction provided by the different county coun- 

 cils is quite varied in nature. It includes aid to the agricultural 

 departments of colleges; employment of instructors in agriculture, 

 dairying, poultry keeping, bee keeping, and farm hygiene; the man- 

 agement of field experiments, experimental farms, and fruit-growing 

 stations; and the support of classes in horseshoeing, manual training, 

 horticulture, and school gardens, as well as the partial support of 



