A.GEICULTURAL EDUCATION. ( .> k 21 



Iras awarded in two equal grants for lectureships in forestry al the University 

 College of North Wales, Bangor, and Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

 The sum of $971.20 was given to aid "the excellenl scheme of instruction pro 

 jjrided by the County Council of Essex al their technical laboratories in Chelms- 

 ford," and $971.20 and $485.60, respectively, to the agricultural departments of 

 the university colleges of Reading and Aberystwyth on account of the estab 

 lishmenl of farms in connection with these institutions. 



The statement is made that the principal reason for giving financial assistance 

 to educational institutions was to provide facilities for training young men for 

 the practice of agriculture, but it is considered aoteworthy thai a large percenl 

 age of "the besl students have been attracted from the practice of agriculture 

 by the offer of research and teaching appointments, and are now filling many <>f 



the more important chairs and lectureships" in England, as well as important 



positions requiring trained specialists in the colonies <•!' Greal Britain and 

 other parts of the w.»rld. it is recognized that "agricultural science offers to 



our host students a career which is certainly not less attractive than that pre- 

 sented by the older and more conventional professions."* 



A feature of the work of the different colleges, aided by the board during the 

 past year, has been the attention given to the training of teachers for the 

 elementary schools. Short courses, usually extending over '1 weeks, have been 

 given for teachers at many of these institutions. In this work the county 

 councils have frequently cooperated. The courses have included instruction in 

 nature study, horticulture, economic entomology, dairying, school gardening, 

 and other subjects of this nature. The attendance of teachers at Reading 

 University College was 25; at Wye College, 67; at the University College of 

 Wales. 42; at the Midland Agricultural and Dairy Institute. 61; at Harper- 

 Adams College, 13; and at the Essex County Technical Laboratories, .".". 



In the appendix on "Education in Rural District— School Gardens," detailed 

 Information is compiled from replies to :;:; questions sent by the Board of Agri- 

 culture and Fisheries to the different county councils. These questions and 

 answers relate to gardens connected with both day and evening schools and to 

 the sources from which land, funds, seeds, and tools are supplied; the total area 

 in gardens and the size of each plat; the instructors, their training and compen- 

 sation; the number and ages of children doing garden work: the time devoted 

 to this work: systems of cropping; supervision; systems of prize giving, ami 

 disposal of products. From the replies received, it appears that at least :vi 

 counties have gardens connected with day schools, and 22 counties maintain 

 other gardens either connected with evening schools or worked independently by 

 hoys and young men. 



In the case of the day-school gardens, it appears that in most counties land 

 and tools, and in a few counties seeds, are provided either directly or indirectly 

 by the county councils. The seeds are usually provided by the local school 

 authorities. The size of the gardens ranges from £ to J of an acre, and the size 

 of the individual plats from 1 to .". square rods. Custom varies as to whether 

 each pupil shall have a separate plat or whether the land shall he worked in 

 common. The teachers of gardening are usually the head teachers in the 

 schools, who in many counties are required to have credentials of qualification 

 for this work. Sometimes gardeners are employed as instructors, though this 

 arrangement is not very satisfactory. The ages of the pupils in gardening 

 range from '.» to 15 years, with comparatively few less than 11 years. Two 

 hours a week is given as the general average of time devoted to gardening. 



There is no general system of cropping or prize giving, and only a few coun- 

 ties in which the work is under the supervision of a county instructor in horti- 

 culture, though this last is considered highly desirable. The produce in some 



