AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES. 600 



The director must be a practical farmer. He usually holds a diploma 

 from the agricultural college at Aas, and often he has continued his 

 studies abroad, along special lines, after graduation. It is required of 

 him to conduct the farm so that it forms a good object lesson and a 

 model, both for the pupils themselves and for the farmers of the sur- 

 rounding district. 



The number of teachers at the schools, in addition to the director, 

 varies somewhat according to the development and conditions of agri- 

 culture in the various districts. There is generally a li second teacher," 

 who is the assistant of the director, and teachers in horticulture, for- 

 estry, and dairying. The latter are experts in their particular lines, 

 and teach only these branches, while the general fundamental branches 

 are taught by the director and the " second teacher." 



The course of instruction offered in these schools is partly theoret- 

 ical, partly practical, and lasts one and a lialf or two years. The the- 

 oretical branches are taught during the winter months, viz, from 

 October to April; the practical work then commences and runs through 

 the summer until after the harvest. There is generally a vacation of 

 three weeks or a month after haying and two weeks' vacation at Christ- 

 mas. The theoretical instruction occupies three hours a day and covers 

 the following preparatory studies: Composition, practical arithmetic, 

 plain geometry, chemistry, and physics. The basal studies taught are 

 agriculture (including mineralogy, geology, botany, and physiology), 

 animal husbandry (including dairying), forestry, horticulture, book- 

 keeping, and farm accounts. Practical exercises are given in survey- 

 ing, map drawing, farm machinery and farm buildings, draiuage, for- 

 estry, horticulture, blacksmithing and carpentry, and geological and 

 botanical excursions. Practical work in the field or barn occupies the 

 full time of the students during the summer, when they take part in 

 the regular farm work under the supervision of the director or the sec- 

 ond teacher. The work in blacksmithing and carpentry comes through- 

 out the year by rotation, one or two students at a time having exercises 

 in these branches each day or afternoon. The class-room instruction 

 consists largely of recitations from text books, and written compositions 

 on the subjects treated are frequently required. 



The students as a rule pay a small fee for tuition, room, and board, 

 ranging from 100 to 300 crowns (826.S0 to $80.40) a year. This fee 

 covers all expenses except for books and stationery. The different 

 counties provide a number of full or half scholarships ("free seats") for 

 poor, worthy scholars, or give stipends to such scholars amounting to 

 the tuitiou fee or more. The number of "free seats" varies in the 

 different schools. Often 3 or 4 in a class of 20 have free tuition, some- 

 times 10 or 12. As a general rule, a distinction is made between 

 students from the district supporting the school in part and outsiders. 

 The former pay only for board and lodging (about $2(>.S0,a year), while 

 others, special or private students, pay a tuitiou fee in addition. The 

 students do not receive any pecuniary compensation for their work on 

 the farm during the summer or at other times. 



