liEPURT OF THE DePAKTMEXT OE AGRICULTURE. 487 



proposals were given effect to, even before the committee's 

 report appealed ; for instance, several officers of the Veterinary 

 Education and Research Division have been giving lectures at 

 the Transvaal University College, and a member of the Elsenburg 

 Agricultural School staff lectures at vStellenbosch University. 

 An officer of each of the two Universities has also been afforded 

 an opportunity of doing extension work with the assistance of 

 the ])epartment. Lastly, the committee proposes that agricultural 

 training be provided for women farmers. Throughout the proceedings 

 the members nf the committee showed a common desire to arrive at 

 solutions which they consider best for the country. 



10. Af/ricultiiral Education : The Schools. — The technical staff 

 .at the Schools of Agriculture numbered 137, as in the previous year. 

 Provision was made for the teaching of a few subjects for which 

 extra-mural lecturers had to be employed. Housemasters were also 

 appointed in order to relieve the vice-principals of a large amount of 

 administrative work which could as well be performed by less highly 

 paid officers, thus freeing the vice-principals for technical work. 



The numbers in attendance at the schools were: — 



1921-1'J22. 1920-1921. 



Diploma course 252 273 



Special course in sheep and wool 27 15 



Special course in dairying 10 14 



Special course (returned soldiers) — 67 



Practical course 18 — 



Other special courses 15 14 



Wine-making course 27 29 



Winter vacation course 542 378 



Total 891 790 



Much important work is being done in research and investigation, 

 and the country is undoubtedly reaping great benefit therefrom. 

 The matters under investigation are numerous, but some of them 

 are referred to in the reports of the principals. 



The experiment station at Winklespruit, on the south coast of 

 Natal, was closed owing to its unsuitability for the experiments 

 required to be undertaken. x\s soon as fund.s permit a fully equipped 

 station should be piovided on the north coast to serve the sugar 

 industry in particular. 



An experiment station was opened at Bathurst in the Cape 

 Province, principally for investigating the wheat problems of the 

 south coast, which area years ago produced large and remunerative 

 ■crops, and is believed capable of being made productive of wheat 

 :again. At this station fruit and other crops are also being experi- 

 mented with. 



More extension work, that is, itinerant instruction, was given 

 by the staff of the schools than previously was possible. Approval 

 ha< been given, however, for the creation of a Division whose duty 

 it will be to regulate this work. At present such work is undertaken 

 by officers of the schools and of the divisions, but without arrange- 

 ment as between the schools and the divisions. Stric;tly speaking, this 

 work falls to officers of the schools, but the schools are not yet so 

 equipped that the work can be entirely left to them. Hence the 



