2 20 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and reaping, liis field Avill produce larger crops than his slovenly or 

 ignorant neighbor. The object lesson has its certain result. The 

 peasants are gradually adopting the four-field culture system — viz., 

 fallow, winter crops, pastures, and summer crops. 



Besides these, Russia sustains 68 agricultural schools, contain- 

 ing 3,157 pupils, at a cost of $403,500, of which sum the Govern- 

 ment pays $277,500, and the local zemstovs (societies) or the school 

 founders pay $136,000. 



In France the eminent scientist Lavoisier, at the close of the 

 last century, advocated the founding of a national school for the 

 teaching of agricultural science. His plan for government initia- 

 tion was not realized, but in 1822 Matthieu de Dombasle founded, 

 near IS'ancy, the first true agricultural school. In 1829 and 1830 

 the schools at Grignon and Grand] ouan were founded by August 

 Bella and Eiefell respectively. !N"ow France boasts of one of the 

 most perfect systems of agricultural education of any country of 

 the world. Under the joint direction of her Ministers of Agricul- 

 ture and of Public Instruction, France plans to cover every phase 

 of education from the simplest forms of object lessons taught by 

 law in all her primary schools to the crowning National Institute 

 of Agriculture at Paris. The facts of science, united with the 

 soundest experience, are demonstrated to the farmer by lectures 

 and experimentation; the future agriculturists of the country are 

 educated in the certainties of scientific research at graded schools, 

 ranging from elementary to university degrees, and every milk- 

 maid is taught the necessity of promptness, cleanliness, and system 

 in the care of milch cows and in the disposal of their milk. 



The former able Director-General of French Agriculture, Mon- 

 sieur Tisserand, says: " The aim and object of France has been not 

 only to give to children and young people the means of acquiring 

 knowledge, but also to establish means for interesting old cultiva- 

 tors. In this century of extreme competition we must admit that 

 the agriculturist can only thrive if, in working the soil, he adopts 

 scientific methods. Old routine is no longer sufficient in this 

 branch, as it is proved to be insufficient in manufacture." In car- 

 rying out her enlightened policy, instruction was given in 1893 * 

 to 3,600 pupil teachers. Thirty agricultural laboratories through- 

 out the country furnish analyses of soils and manures for the help 

 of cultivators, and 3,362 trial fields are established where farmers 

 can profit by experiments suitable to their own districts. The 

 special farm schools number sixteen; practical schools of agricul- 

 ture, thirty-nine; national schools of agriculture and horticulture, 



* Statistics of 1893. The French Government only occasionally issues its official report 

 of agricultural schools. 



