AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES. 611 



The objects of the landtbrukssJcolor are " to give practical experience 

 in the performance, planning, and supervision of farm work, and to 

 offer instruction in the fundamental principles underlying farm practice." 

 They are therefore primarily practical schools. The courses last two 

 years, beginning on the first day of November and continuing through- 

 out the year. The practical instruction consists in participation in all 

 kinds of farm work in the field, stable, barn, and blacksmith and car- 

 penter shops. In this work the second-year students act as foremen, 

 keeping journals of the work done under their direction and also tak- 

 ing part in the work themselves, as is the usual practice with foremen 

 on Swedish farms. The theoretical instruction covers the following 

 subjects: Composition, arithmetic, drawing, geometry, natural history, 

 agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, forestry, horticulture, and 

 farm bookkeeping. This instruction is given during the winter months, 

 four to five hours daily. The average number of hours of theoretical 

 instruction during the year was in 1895, for first-year students, 317 

 hours; for second-year students, 070 hours, the number ranging at the 

 different schools between 207 and 4GC> hours for the first-year students, 

 and between 486 and 80S hours for second-year students. 



Students must be at least 18 years of age on entering the schools, 

 and must have similar qualifications to those required by the elemen- 

 tary schools of Norway. The average age of students entering these 

 schools is, however, considerably higher than the limit set, being 

 between 22 and 23 years. On passing the final examinations aid 

 otherwise successfully completing the course the students receive 

 diplomas from the school. 



The Swedish landtbruksskolor were established in 1840. They are 

 supported in part by a Government appropriation of 4,000 crowns ($1,072) 

 each, or where more than one school is held inside of a county (Ian), 

 2,000 crowns to each of the others, on condition that the agricultural 

 society or county board appropriate a similar amount. There are at 

 present 24 schools of this kind, 20 of which receive 4,000 crowns each 

 and the remainder 2,000 crowns annually. 



The second class of elementary agricultural schools, landtmannaslo- 

 lor (farmer schools) are calculated to furnish young men with the theo- 

 retical agricultural education required for the proper management of 

 smaller farms. The courses last 20 to 24 weeks, beginning on the last 

 week day of October each year. The requirements for admission are 

 somewhat higher than those of the practical schools, and in addition at 

 least one year's experience in ordinary farm work is required. The 

 studies taught in these schools are physics and meteorology, chemistry, 

 botany, zoology, geology , agriculture, veterinary science, animal hus- 

 bandry, dairying, architecture, geometry and surveying, farm book- 

 keeping, and drawing. On passing the final examinations the pupils 

 receive a diploma signed by the principal of the school. The total 

 number of hours of instruction during the course varied in 1S95 from 

 13039— No. 7 2 



