Advancement of Agricultural Science. 375 



Model Farm connected with the Office of Education in the same 

 city, from which I collect the following particulars. 



The former institution is engaged, 1st, in encouragins: the 

 foundation of local or district agricultural societies in different 

 parts of the country, and in affording assistance towards the pro- 

 secution of their respective objects; 2ndly, in establishing an 

 agricultural museum in Dublin for the reception of implements of 

 husbandry, seeds, grasses, &c. ; 3rdly, in the circulation of prac- 

 tical information connected with husbandry through the medium 

 of cheap publications ; and lastly, in the organization of an agri- 

 cultural college for the education and instruction of the farming 

 classes. This last design, the most important perhaps of any, has 

 not, I fear, yet been realised ; but I am happy to find, from a 

 letter I have been favoured with from Mr. SkelHng, through the 

 kind intervention of Professor MacGauley, of Dublin, that the 

 model farm alluded to as connected with the Education Board, 

 is under the management of an agriculturist, who undertakes 

 to communicate to the pupils sent there by the said Board 

 instruction on rural economy, both of a scientific and practical 

 description. 



The primary object of this Board being to train up in the rudi- 

 ments of the most useful kinds of knowledge those who are here- 

 after to be employed as teachers in the national schools of the 

 country, in order that by these means the same may hereafter be 

 disseminated through the community, it is thought highly im- 

 portant, that the attention of such persons should be specially di- 

 rected to agricultural chemistry, as well as to other studies 

 whereby their minds may become better informed on matters of 

 rural economy. They accordingly are made to attend the lec- 

 tures on chemistry, delivered by Professor MacGauley at Dublin, 

 and are likewise enjoined to resort, during a portion of the time 

 devoted to their education, to the model-farm at Glassneven, where 

 they are lodged^ and where during five mornings of the week 

 they attend lectures on the leading principles of agriculture, and 

 undergo an examination relating to the subjects there taught, 

 whilst on the sixth they are taken over the farm, and have all 

 the practical operations in progress shown and explained to them. 



A certain number of in-door pupils are also admitted by the 

 Board for the term at least of two years, who belong to the lower 

 class, and pay 10/. a-year for board, lodging, and education. 

 They work on the farm, attend the lectures, and receive every 

 kind of instruction necessary to qualify them for land-stewards and 

 managers of farming establishments. There is likewise a class 

 of schoolmasters trained to conduct agricultural schools in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country. I am also assured that there has 

 of late been manifested a great desire on the part of gentlemen 



