FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 225 



ties belonging severally to Scot and Celt and Saxon Lave not yet 

 permitted a uniform legislation. Ireland and Scotland each has 

 its own scheme of Government supervision, and both differ from 

 England and Wales. It is estimated that but ten per cent of Eng- 

 land's laboring population is concerned with agriculture for sup- 

 port, while in Ireland there is scarcely ten per cent of the people 

 who are not dependent on agriculture for existence. In conse- 

 quence, we find in Ireland, as in France, intense interest centers 

 upon the plan to teach agriculture and horticulture in the elemen- 

 tary public schools, while in England, until very recently, agricul- 

 tural education served principally to produce a class of educated 

 scientific men fitted for the Government home and colonial service. 



In Ireland compulsory attendance on primary schools is made 

 by law. In 1876 Ireland claimed to be the pioneer country in pro- 

 viding compulsory elementary agricultural instruction in all her 

 rural schools. She has desperately clung to the theory that in 

 providing such education in her elementary schools she would 

 eventually train a nation of agriculturists. To attain this end, ele- 

 mentary text-books were prepared, which all teachers must use. 

 The Government grant for a pass at examination in agriculture was 

 much larger than a pass in any other study; teachers who held cer- 

 tificates to teach it were given higher salaries than others, and to 

 enable teachers to prej)are for such certificates, scholarships were of- 

 fered them at teachers' colleges (normal schools), and their railway 

 fare was free in going and coming. Plots of ground at schoolhouse 

 or teacher's house were provided, where flower and vegetable cul- 

 ture could be constantly practiced, and a special grant was allowed 

 to the school for cultivating a successful garden, and another spe- 

 cial for classes showing proficiency in practical work. Gardens 

 were cultivated at convents and workhouses, and the subject was 

 taught theoretically to " half-time " pupils and students at the 

 " evening continuation schools." 



In December, 1896, Ireland had 8,606 national schools, with 

 an average attendance of 815,248 pupils. She also had 150 half- 

 time schools, 155 workhouse schools, 267 convent schools, 30 model 

 schools, five training colleges for teachers, and two training agricul- 

 tural institutes (at Glassnevin and at Munster), and in all of these 

 agricultural science or practice is either a compulsory or a volun- 

 tary subject. What country can surpass Ireland's enthusiasm for 

 agricultural training? * 



* A bill for the development of Irish agricultural industry and Irish technical educa- 

 tion, providing for Government aid to private enterprise in agriculture, and in manufactur- 

 ing mdustries also, has just passed (August, 1899) the House of Commons, and is assured 

 its passage by the House of Lords also. 



