8 Jan., 1907.] Agricultural Education. 4,5 



A.N. A. Gold Medalist. 



The Australian Xative.s Association has again donated a gold medal 

 for the student gaining the best aggregate of marks in all subjects, and 

 the honour of winning this belongs to Echuca. Mr. E. R. Johnson, B.A., 

 secured an aggregate of 583 marks out of a possible 600, or 53 marks 

 ahead of last year's winner. A scrutiny of the points awarded at each 

 centre will show that there were many excellent papers, and that the 

 wanner had no easy task to carry off the prize from 197 competitOTs, ex- 

 clusive of a few informal papers. Several local prizes were also offered 

 by the various associations throughout the State; the successful students 

 in these cases should make application to the Association under whose 

 auspices the class was held. 



Reports by the Lecturers. 



Mr. F. E. Lee. — " On the whole, I am well satisfied with the papers. 

 They indicate that the students had an intelligent grasp of the subi'ect 

 matter of my lectures, with perhaps the exception of the valuation of 

 artificial manures. As in the previous examinations, the answers to this 

 question reveal the need for a more complete understanding on the part 

 cf the farmers in the purchase of fertilizers." 



Mr. A. S. Kenyon, C.E. — " I was not able to attend all the centres, 

 but there was, judging from mv personal experience, and from the ansAveri 

 to questions set by my substitute, on the whole a notable advance upon 

 the results of last year. This was particularly marked in connexion with 

 questions involving calculations and original thought. Still, the evidence 

 IS strong that the lectures require to be extended if anything like a lasting 

 grip of the subjects is expected. Indeed, without some arrangement for 

 continuation of study and practice, even extended lectures will not suffice. 

 Students should make up their minds to either study individual] v. or pre- 

 ferably, collectively, by forming associations." 



Dr. A. A. Brown. — " It is verv pleasant to find that great attention 

 mujst have been paid to the lectures, since the papers were verv well 

 answered. It must not be forgotten that the students came to the ex- 

 aminations and answered questions without any reading up on the lectures 

 delivered. This clearly shows that thev take an interest in the work, and 

 that they are anxious for instruction.'" 



Mr. H. V . Hawkins. — " The subject of poultry raising has this vear 

 been remarkably well received throughout the whole of the 17 centres, 

 and the interest taken bv the students in the ocular demonstrations has 

 been very encouraging. At *no centre were the ladies absent, but rather 

 an increased attendance has been manifest, more particularly at the evening 

 lectures. It will be seen by the report in tabulated form that the largest 

 number of papers in any one subject is that of poultry. It may be of 

 interest to note that one of the most complete examination papers I have 

 had the pleasure to read was that of a ladv student at Castlemaine, Miss 

 Brotherton. Taking the papers as a whole, special mention is due to 

 all of those coming from Nhill. and it is conclusive that the three vears' 

 Vvork of the classes in that town has done much good, and the students 

 right thro'ugh the centres have a good general knowledge of what to do 

 and how to do it." 



Mr. R. T. Ar,cher. — ',' I am very pleased to find the replies to the 

 examination questions quite equal to the standard of former years ; some 



