NOTES. 1139 



Agricultural Education in England. — At the conclusion of an address upon this 

 subject h\ .T. C. Medd, tlic fulluwinff suggestions were made for placing the rural 

 and agricidtural education upon a more satisfactory basis: "1. Close small village 

 schools and convey their children daily to some central school. This would insure 

 better })uildings and equipment, more regular attendance, and a more efficient staff. 

 This has been already done in jjarts of the United States and Canada. 2. Develop a 

 few favoral^l}^ situated schools upon the model of the Ecoles primaires superieures. 

 The full course at these schools extends over three years, and for the first year the 

 instruction is general. Afterwards the pupils enter one or other of the following 

 sections: (a) Commercial, (b) industrial, (c) agricultural. The schools founded by 

 Lady Warwick at Bigods, and by the Duchess of Sutherland at Goldspie, are some- 

 what analogous to these. 3. Organize a continuation school in every village with 

 such a curriculum as that previously described. 4. Establish winter schools of 

 agriculture and horticulture in selected districts according to the particular require- 

 ments and characteristics of each county, and make the services of their directors 

 available for all farmers and gardeners during the summer. 5. Put demonstration 

 plats in the charge of men who combine scientific accuracy with some actual knowl- 

 edge of practical farming, and are in touch with the farmers of the district. 6. Pro- 

 vide liberal scholarships to pass capable children l)y successive stages from the 

 elementary school to the collegiate center, to which each county should be affiliated." 



As evidence of the increasing appreciation of the facilities offered by institutions 

 of varying grades, the following statistics were appended: " Fifty-four pupils passed 

 through the Basing School Farm (which can only accommodate 16 pupils at a time) 

 last year, of whom 90 per cent were the sons and daughters of farmers. The number 

 of boarders at the Dauntsey Agricultural School, which is too isolated for many day 

 pupils, has risen from 11 in 1900 to 38 in 1904; of these, almost all follow the agri- 

 cultural course. At the Harper Adams Agricultural College the number of students 

 is 4.5, about 70 per cent of whom are the sons of landowners, land agents, or farmers. 

 AVithin the past two years the number at Wye Agricultural College has increased 

 from 49 to 72, about half of whom are by birth associated with the land." 



Victoria School of Horticulture.— In a recent report of the jirincipal of this school, 

 the following summary is given regarding the value of horticultural instruction for 

 women as observed at the school: ''Of about 140 women students attending, about 

 10 per cent may be said to have thoroughly mastered some branch of profitable hor- 

 ticulture. Another 20 per cent gained as much experience and habit of work as to 

 make them capable helpers or directors of their own properties. The remainder of 

 the students gave no definite proof of what they may be able to do in the future. 

 A few students are earning a livelihood wholly, or in part, through their experience 

 gained here. Two are engaged in designing and maintaining gardens. One is 

 managing a small mixed estate. One is a writer on horticulture, one or two take 

 pruning contracts, and one has laid out and managed a young orchard of considera- 

 ble extent in such a business-like ruanner as to warrant the assertion that of its age 

 and character there is no property to equal it for general excellence in the State of 

 Victoria." 



The New Building of the Seed Control Station of Vienna. — A recent number of Zeit- 

 schrijt far das Landirhischaftliche Versnrhsiresen in Oesterreidi gives an illustrated 

 account of the new building and grounds of this station and briefly reviews the his- 

 tory of the institution since its estabhshment in 1881. The plat on which the build- 

 ing stands has a total area of a little less than an acre, of which the building covers 

 552 square meters (5,941.67 square feet), and test plats occupy 400 square meters 

 (4,305.55 square feet). The building is of artificial stone, with tile roof, and was 

 constructed at a cost of §36,236.73, exclusive of internal equijiment. It contains 35 

 rooms, of which 5 are used for offices and library, 18 for laltoratories, 5 for mailing 



