496 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. [Vol.36 



In consequence of the Development Fund the year 1912-13 marked the begin- 

 ning of a new era in the history of agricultural education in Wales as regards 

 public administration and financial assistance. Prior to 1912-13 the cost of the 

 work was practically borne by the counties themselves, their total expenditure 

 for the three years ended March 31, 1912, averaging $30,0.54, while the agricul- 

 tural colleges at AberystN\Tth and Bangor each received ?5.832, and the latter 

 also $1,215 for forestry instruction. For the year ended March 31, 1915, the 

 total estimated county expenditure was $60,040, that to Aberystwyth colleg« 

 $12,670, and that to Bangor college $20,042. 



The farm institute scheme became operative in the Welsh counties generally 

 in 1914-15. Only two counties, Carnarvon and Monmouth, have taken steps to 

 provide special institutions for agricultural instruction, the other 11 counties 

 deciding to continue to work, for the time being at least, in direct association 

 with the agricultural departments of the two colleges as before. The county 

 schemes vary somewhat in character, but generally provide for (1) courses at 

 local centers in agriculture, horticulture, dairying, poultry management, veteri- 

 nary hygiene, and other subjects conducted by a staff employed directly by the 

 county or through the agricultural department of one of the colleges, (2) field 

 experiments and demonstrations in manuring, new varieties of crops, seed 

 mixtures, etc., and (3) systematic courses in agriculture and dairying for 

 farmers' sons and daughters, aided by scholarships and exhibitions at either 

 one of the university colleges or county institutions where the latter exist. The 

 additional sums to the agricultural departments of the colleges have made more 

 scholarships available, they now incur no expenditure for purely county work, 

 and they have appointed special officers to give technical advice to farmers and 

 to investigate local problems, live-stock officers, and advisers in agricultural 

 botany and chemistry. 



Instruction in light farm work and milking for women and children 

 {Jour. Bd. Agr. [Landon], 23 {1916), No. S, pp. 264-271).— Brief summaries are 

 given indicating the provision made by various county authorities for instruc- 

 tion in light farm work and milking for women and children in England and 

 \Vales. The instruction is given at agricultural colleges and farm schools, farm 

 institutes, approved farms, etc., and varies in length from two to nine weeks. 



Farm mechanics (Agr. Gaz. (panada, S {1916), No. 8, pp. 731-739, fig. 1).— 

 This is a series of articles containing an account of the instruction in farm 

 mechanics, including outlines of courses of study, methods of instruction, equip- 

 ment, examinations, etc., in the Nova Scotia College of Agriculture, MacDonald 

 College, Ontario Agricultural College, Manitoba Agricultural College, Saskatche- 

 wan College of Agriculture, and the Alberta schools of agriculture. 



The kingdom of the plants, C. A. Nobcboss and P. A. Lehenbatjeb {Agr. 

 Ext. Vniv. Nev. Bui. 8 {1916), pp. 23, figs. 20). — This bulletin comprises the 

 first four lessons of a series of 16 in an extension course in gardening for boys' 

 and girls' clubs. These lessons are devoted to definitions of terms in the study 

 of plant life, seeds and how they germinate, plant structure and growth, and 

 the work of plants. Experiments and a list of questions to test the pupils' 

 knowledge of plants are included. 



Twenty lessons in domestic science, Makian C. Fishee {Author, 1916, pp. 

 108, Ugs. 19). — This is a condensed home study course in domestic science com- 

 prising 20 lessons dealing with food principles, the functions, classification, 

 a.ssimilation, a»d composition of food, dietary standards, methods of cooking, 

 and recipes and kitchen equipment. A list of Farmers' Bulletins of this de- 

 partment, reference tables, pronunciations and definitions, and other miscel- 

 laneous data of value to the housekeeper are appended. 



