4 Royal Agricultural College of Cirencester. 



adequate farm-buildings, and other essential adjuncts. It was 

 therefore provided by the Deed of Settlement, that the capital 

 should be increased to 24,000/. ; but after every exertion it was 

 found impracticable to extend the subscriptions and donations 

 beyond the amount of 20,320/. The expression of opinion in 

 favour of an institution of this kind was so strong and general 

 as to render the earlier administrators of its funds somewhat 

 over-sanguine as to success. This led to a premature extension 

 of the College by the immediate erection of some buildings, 

 which it had been originally intended to leave till time should 

 show what amount of accommodation was necessary. The day of 

 reckoning, when it arrived, presented a result in conformity with 

 general experience in such cases — the buildings, with all the 

 incidents essential to the actual occupation, had involved an 

 outlay considerably beyond the estimates. 



There having existed no precedent in this country as a guide 

 to the Committee of Management, mistakes of one kind and 

 another were unavoidable, and admitted of correction only in 

 the expensive school of experience. The providing of com- 

 petent professors and of the domestic staff for such an institution 

 involved an immediate annual outlay, while an adequate income 

 from students was only prospective. The fee first fixed for the 

 board and instruction of students was 30/. per annum only : a 

 sum which about met the demands caused by the keen appetites 

 of youngsters spending the greater part of the day in the in- 

 vigorating air of the Cotswolds, leaving the interest on capital, 

 and the cost of professors, &:c., unprovided for. In the year 

 1848, the account at the bankers was found to be overdrawn to 

 the extent of 10,000/. A meeting of the promoters of the 

 College was convened to consider its financial condition. There 

 appeared to be no alternative but the closing the Institution at 

 the end of the actual session, for want of adequate support. 

 Before that resolution was finally passed, Mr. Holland, who was 

 in attendance as vice-president, expressed his strong and un- 

 altered opinion of the necessity of such a school of agriculture, 

 and his confidence in its ultimate success, adding that he would 

 take on himself the responsibility for the existing debt. The 

 meeting was then adjourned for further deliberation. At the 

 adjourned meeting, the late Earl Ducie, attended, and not only 

 supported Mr. Holland's views, but, with his characteristic 

 liberality, stated that much more would be requisite than a mere 

 provision against the existing debt, and that there ought to be at 

 least an equal amount in the banker's hands to meet further outlay, 

 without which the establishment would be too imperfect to com- 

 mand success. His Lordship added that he could not allow the 

 burden to rest on Mr. Holland's shoulders alone ; and ultimately 



