EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XX. November, 1908. No. 3. 



A report of considerable importance concerning agricultural edu- 

 cation in England and Wales has recently been submitted by a special 

 committee appointed by the president of the Board of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries. The report comprises a brief history of agricultural 

 education in England and Wales up to the present time, a more 

 extended view of the progress and development of agricultural 

 education from 1888 to 1908, a description of existing facilities for 

 agricultural education, and recommendations concerning its further 

 development. The inquiry of the committee did not extend to rural 

 secondary and elementary schools since these are under the control of 

 the Board of Education and are not within the province of the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



It seems that in England and Wales there are two main sources of 

 financial support for technical and agricultural education. The first 

 includes funds derived from the Excise Act of 1890, which are turned 

 over to local boards known as County Councils to be used for the en- 

 couragement of agricultural education, experiments, and demonstra- 

 tions. These funds are largely used in the counties from which they 

 are derived or are devoted to the support of educational centers which 

 serve two or more counties. These centers may be universities, agri- 

 cultural colleges, or special institutions deriving their main support 

 from these funds, or they may be special institutions established and 

 maintained by the County Councils. The second source includes 

 funds controlled by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries which are 

 used for the encouragement of agricultural education by making 

 grants to a selected list of institutions giving instruction in agricul- 

 ture. In several instances the institutions aided by the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries also derive a part of their support from 

 County Councils. 



The committee in its investigations made a study of the work of six 

 universities and university colleges, five agricultural colleges, two 

 dairy institutes, one fruit and cider institute, one veterinary college, 



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