246 National Agricultural Examination Board. 



6. Fifteen of the 41 unsuccessful candidates sitting for a 

 group of three or four subjects failed in a single subject, which, 

 under the regulations, they will be entitled to take again next 

 year in conjunction with the second group. 



7. The candidates at this year's Examination came from 

 fifteen different agricultural training institutions in the United 

 Kingdom, 



9 English Colleges sending up 77 candidates 

 3 Scottish Colleges „ ,, 50 „ 



2 Welsh Colleges „ „ 4 „ 



1 Irish College „ „ 6 „ 



137 



The remaining two candidates possessed University degrees, 

 and apparently had not taken courses at any agricultural college 

 recognised by the National Agricultural Examination Board. 



8. The Reports of the Examiners in the different subjects 

 are appended : — 



Practical Agriculture. (First Paper, 300 Marks. Second Paper, 300 Marks.) 

 Mr. T. A. Dickson, Mr. John Gilchrist, F.S.I., and Mr. William Burkitt, B.Sc. 



The Examiners are pleased to be able to report that the general standard is higher 

 than in recent years, and quite a satisfactory number obtained "honours" marks in 

 this subject. 



Whilst it is essential that the candidates should have an exact knowledge of agri- 

 culture as practised in their own district, the Examiners are strongly of the opinion 

 that for this Diploma a wider knowledge of agriculture in districts -other than their 

 own is also necessary. 



Farm and Estate FiNGiNEERiNG. (300 Marks.) Mr.R. Strachan Gardiner, F.S.I. 



(Surveying and Farm Buildings) ; Professor R. StanfieUI, M.Tnst.C.E. 

 (Machinery and Implements). 



Land Surveying and Farm Buildings :— In the Surveying Section the plotting was 

 well done in the majority of cases, but it was evident that most of the candidates had 

 not had sufficient practice m drawing and the use of plotting scales. Methods of com- 

 puting areas were generally unnecessarily long, and so absorbed too much time. More 

 attention should be paid to acquiring a practical knowledge of ordnance maps, and to 

 the computation of areas by equalising lines and triangulation, which would be quite 

 accurate enough for most agricultural purposes. 



In the Farm Buildings Section candidates acquitted themselves far more satisfac- 

 torily in the oral examination than in the paper work, and it was again evident that 

 little time had been given to drawing, very few being able to make a clear sketch plan. 

 A fair general knowledge of dimensions and prices was shown, but although practically 

 all the candidates were conversant with the average prices per cubic foot for farm 

 houses, buildings, and cottages, in no case was the correct method given of taking the 

 dimensions of a building for arriving at. the cubic contents. 



Machinery and Implements: — Most of the candidates appeared to possess a sound 

 working knowledge of the subject. The sketches and descriptions of the implements, 

 and their method of working, showed that the candidates had given special attention 

 to this important branch of agricultural work. In conducting the oral examination 

 the Examiner purposely deviated from the particular type of questions set in the 

 paper, and very intelligent answers were obtained from the majority of the candidates. 

 On the whole the Examiner considers the results very satisfactory. 



Agricultural Chemistry. (300 Marks.) E. J. Russell, D. Sc, and 

 Herbert Ingle, B. Sc. 



Speaking generally the candidates were better prepared than last year, and there 

 was a distinct imjirovement in the quality of the work sent in. The Examiners desire, 

 howevar, to draw attention to two defects revealed during the examination, which 



