EDITORIAL. 403 



country. This is due to tlie fact that so little has been published 

 which explains the work as a whole, and to the diverse character of the 

 arrangements made in the diflferent counties. It is perhaps incorrect 

 to speak of the undertaking as a system, since there appears to ])e an 

 entire lack of system, considering the country as a whole, and no 

 advisory or supervisory relations exist between the county councils 

 and the Boards of x\griculture or Education or other central agencj'. 

 The funds with which the work is carried on are derived under a 

 local taxation act of 1890 and are for technical education, which in 

 most counties is construed to include agriculture. The county coun- 

 cils, in whose hands the administration of the funds is placed, are to 

 a large extent the executive ofMcers of the counties. Each county has 

 been left to work out its own plan for technical instruction under this 

 act. As the matter was largely an experiment, there was quite natur- 

 ally a variety of opinion as to the best means of carrying out the pur- 

 pose of the act, especially in providing instruction in agriculture. 

 This accounts for the variety of arrangements which have been made in 

 different counties, the grade of instruction provided, and its efficiency. 



A review of this educational work carried on by the county councils 

 is presented in the Annual Report of the Board of Agriculture on The 

 Distribution of Grants for Agricultural Education and Research, 

 1900-1901. This summary is based upon the reports of the commit- 

 tees on technical education in the various counties of England and 

 Wales, and shows the provisions which have been made for elementary 

 and higher instruction in agriculture. It will be of considerable 

 interest to those who are following the various forms of agricultural 

 education in other countries, and will prove helpful in giving a clearer 

 idea of the aims and methods of this rather unique system. 



It is shown that the amount of money available for technical educa- 

 tion in England and Wales under the act of 1890, excluding that which 

 went to urban and metropolitan authorities, was about £500,000, and 

 of this sum it is estimated that approximate!}^ £77,000 was used for 

 agricultural instruction. While the proportion devoted to agricul- 

 ture is not large, it represents in the aggregate nearly $375,000, which 

 IS a relativel}^ large sum considering either the area covered (one- 

 fourth larger than New York State) or the rural population. 



The facilities provided by different county councils vary greatlj^ in 

 extent and character, but in general it may be said that they include 

 instruction of the various grades, from the college course to the agri- 

 cultural or farm school, and the most elementary courses of lectures 

 or demonstrations, furnished by migratory schools or lecturers; 

 together with the maintenance of demonstration plats to illustrate the 

 culture or handling of various crops. The facilities for higher agri- 

 cultural education are furnished by a number of universities and 

 agricultural schools or institutes, which receive grants from the vari- 



