342 National Agricultural Examination Board. 



knowledge shown of the amount of capital required for the equipment of farms 

 and of its apportionment. The majority possessed only a local knowledge of farming ; 

 but the proportion of those who have studied the agriculture of counties other than 

 their own is greater than in former years. We would draw the attention of those 

 responsible for the training of future candidates to the importance of instructing 

 their students in the farming practices of the different parts of the kingdom. 



7. Agricultural Book-keeping. (200 Marks.) Mr. W. Home Cook, C.A. 



Thirty-seven candidates presented themselves for examination in this subject, and 

 of these thirty-three obtained the necessary pass marks. The candidates as a whole 

 answered well, and there was a distinct improvement in neatness and style as 

 compared with last year's papers. 



8. Agricultural Chemistry. (200 Marks.) Dr. J. Augustus Voelcker, 



Ph.D., M.A., F.I.C., and Dr. Bernard Dyer, D.Sc, F.I.C. 



Of the thirty-four candidates who presented themselves in Agricultural Chemistry, 

 only about half-a-dozen exhibited excellent general knowledge, giving good replies, 

 in both the written and oral parts of the examination. At the same time no special 

 excellence was shown. While there were only six actual failures in this subject, a 

 considerable number of the candidates did little more than just satisfy the require- 

 ments of the examiners. It appeared to the latter that, in many cases, especially 

 where the candidates had been brought up on a farm, the lessons of their short 

 training in General Chemistry had been largely forgotten. This would seem to 

 indicate the desirability of more close supervision in Part I., to ensure that 

 only those who have had a good grounding in General Chemistry should be 

 allowed to pass on to the special branch of Agricultural Chemistry. A marked 

 difference was shown between those who had had a full and systematic course and 

 those who attempted to prepare themselves merely by attendance at short courses 

 in chemistry. In the latter case the chemical knowledge possessed was not likely 

 to form any real asset of the candidate's equipment, but was calculated to serve 

 merely the purposes of the moment. This was brought out more particularly in the 

 viva voce examination, which, as a whole, was not nearly as satisfactory as were 

 the written replies. The oral examination, for instance, indicated that, in assigning 

 money values to manures (question 8), the result was arrived at by adopting figures 

 learnt by heart from certain published tables, but without any comprehension of the 

 basis on which these figures were founded. 



9. Agricultural Engikeering. (200 Marks.) 

 Mr. Arnold G. Hansard, B.A., M.Inst.E.E. 



Of the candidates who entered for this paper, about one quarter did fairly good 

 papers and eight failed to pass. The standard of the remaining papers can only be 

 described as fair. Nearly every question produced quite good answers from some 

 of the candidates, but it frequently happened that good answers to the problems 

 were marred by carelessness in arithmetic. In considering the examination as a 

 whole, both written and oral, it was very noticeable that many of the candidates 

 had learnt by heart book-work which they were totally unable to apply to quite 

 elementary jjractical problems. 



10. Veterinary Science. (100 Marks.) 

 Professor Sir John McFadyean, M.B. 

 With few exceptions the candidates displayed a satisfactory knowledge of the 

 elementary anatomy, physiology, and hygiene of the domesticated animals. In one 

 or two cases the written papers afforded evidence of defective general education. 



7. The thanks of the Board are due to the authorities of 

 the Leeds University, for their liberality and courtesy in 

 placing the Large Hall and other rooms of the University 

 at the Board's disposal for the Examination ; and to the 

 Examiners, for the care and attention they bestowed upon 

 the written answers to the papers set, and upon the viva voce 

 examination. 



MoRETON. James Macdonald. 



Alexander Cross. Thomas McRow. 



16 Bedford Square, Loudon, W.C. 

 May, 1911. 



