Royal Agricultural College of Cirencester. 9 



consideration I was able to the intei'nal discipline and general arrangements 

 of the College. After fourteen years' experience of agricultural education 

 at Glasnevin, it was natural that the College arrangements should interest 

 me. I was anxious to study the system pursued here, not only for its own 

 sake, but for the purpose of assisting my judgment whenever my employers 

 should think fit to consult me regarding the Glasnevin establishment. Under 

 these circumstances, I have no hesitation in expressing my conviction of what 

 a student may do at the College. I say advisedly what a student inay do ; 

 because you can judge an institution of this kind fairly only by its attentive 

 and assiduous students. It is unfair to the Royal Agricultural College to 

 judge it bj' the careless and inattentive student. Every man of experience 

 knows there are some men whom you cannot by possibility induce 'to study. 

 So it must have been,' and so it must continue to be at Cirencester. But a 

 student who is bent on acquiring a thorough knowledge of his profession, who 

 is determined to use his best eftbrts to gain a good position amongst his brotlier 

 farmers, who has a laudable amount of ambition to excel, who, in short, is 

 anxious to use such' abilities as the Almighty has endowed him with for his 

 own advantage, could spend a couple of years at this College more profitably 

 than at any place of which I have any knowledge. Apart from the scientific 

 knowledge to be acquired at Cirencester, and the invigorating influence exerted 

 by its class-discipline on the mind, the students acquire thus a vast amount 

 of practical agricultural knowledge. I am unwilling to mention individual 

 students by name, as I might omit others of equal merit, but I may add that I 

 was invited to examine several for the College diploma in November last, I 

 examined them on the form for several weeks. I bad an opportunity of testing 

 their knowledge of farming acquired in the College class-rooms and on the fanii. 

 It is due to the College, and to those by whom they were instructed, to state 

 that I have never met with young men who, during the time, had acquired so 

 large a mass of scientific and practical agi'icultural knowledge. I do not believe 

 it possible that they could in the same time have stored their minds with the 

 same amount of knowledge of principles and practical details on the farm of 

 any private individual. In making this remark I have no desire to undervalue 

 the private farm as a school for practical instruction. Some of the students at 

 the College struck me as possessing a better knowledge of the theory and 

 practice of modern farming than any men of their age I ever met with. They 

 will never regret the time tliej^ spent at the College ; and the time will come 

 when students of their stamp will take their place in the current of agricul- 

 tural progix'ss, and be living witnesses of the value of a sound agricultural 

 education. "It only remains for me to express a hope that the College will 

 prosper, and fully realize the aspirations of its founders." 



We have been Induced to add these influential testimonies to 

 the general efficiency of this Institution for the purposes of its 

 foundation, not as forming part of its history, but as being 

 highly creditable to the Principal and the regular staff of 

 Professors. 



Charles Lawrence. 



Cirencester, July 27th, 1864. 



