EDITORIAL. 203 



Lack of attention to post-graduate work in agriculture in England 

 and Wales was alluded to by the committee in its recommendation 

 that " the Board of Agriculture provide or encourage the provision 

 of scholarships for post-graduate research, and also traveling fel- 

 lowships for teachers, enabling them to study foreign systems of 

 agriculture." It also believes that there should be increased provi- 

 sion for original research, field experiments, fruit stations, and 

 demonstration plats, and recommends that the Board of Agriculture 

 collate the results of experiments and publish those directly bearing 

 on the improvement of agricultural practice. 



As regards instruction in agriculture of a lower grade, which the 

 committee believes to be of vital importance, the winter agricultural 

 school " appears to be especially adapted to the needs of this country." 

 It is believed that within the next 10 3'ears from 50 to 60 of these 

 schools will be provided and that their course of study should be 

 especially adapted to boys from 17 to 20 years old who have already 

 had some j^ractical instruction in agriculture or horticulture. Short 

 winter courses in colleges have been held with success and should be 

 continued, and this is true also of local winter courses " which should 

 be encouraged until longer and more systematic courses of instruction 

 are available at winter agricultural schools." 



The committee calls attention to satisfactory instruction now being 

 given in a number of special subjects, such as forestry, dairying, and 

 veterinary' science, and recommends that greater attention be given 

 to such instruction in future. 



With regard to the organization of agricultural instruction the 

 committee believes that " agricultural instruction, when provided by 

 universities, university colleges, agricultural colleges, farm institutes 

 and winter schools, or by means of special classes or courses of lec- 

 tures in agriculture and kindred subjects (e. g., dairying, horticul- 

 ture), should be under the direction of the Board of Agriculture; 

 while all instruction in agricultural subjects forming part of courses 

 in primary, secondary, or such evening schools as are in definite con- 

 tinuation of the education given in primary schools, should be under 

 the Board of Education." 



Credit is given to national agricultural societies for good educa- 

 tional work, but it is stated that local societies have given little aid 

 to either agricultural education or research. Greatly increased funds 

 are needed for agricultural education and these apparently must 

 come mainly from national sources. The committee believes that the 

 Board of Agriculture should first aid existing and projected institu- 

 tions to strengthen their staff and improve their general equipment 

 and then assist local authorities to make provision for the agri- 

 cultural work conducted by them. 



