National Agricultural Examination Board. 247 



must seriously detract from the educational value of the work done during the pre- 

 paration tor this Diploma. The first is the general lack of good preliminary training ; 

 many of the candidates could neither spell correctly, write legibly, nor express them- 

 selves in simple straightforward language. The second is the relatively small extent 

 to which some of the candidates had thought for themselves. Many of them had 

 picked up phrases quite correctly from the class-room or the text book, hut had never 

 thought out for themselves what th,' words really meant : sometimes also a large 

 amount of laboratory work had been done, without any adequate realisation of what 

 the different processes stood for. It would, however, be unfair to blame the teacher of 

 agricultural chemistry for all this, and perhaps the most satisfactory feature the 

 Examiners have to report is the evident sincerity with which the subject has been 

 handled by the teachers, and the great value of some of the courses to students who 

 are properly prepared to receive them. 



Agricttltubal Botany. (300 Marks.) R. Stewart MacDougall, M.A., D.Sc. 



There was evidence in the papers of much good work in this subject. While the 

 number of outstanding papers wa^ not great, the average was good. The drawings 

 given in illustration of the answers were sometimes excellent, but in this and in the 

 general tidiness of the answers there is room for improvement. The oral part of the 

 examination was encouraging ; the recognition of specimens was well done, but some 

 of the candidates had little or no grasp of the general principles underlying plant 

 physiology. 



Agricultural Book-keeping (200 marks). 

 Mr. Charles S. Orwin, M.A., F.S.I. 



Seventy-five candidates presented themselves for examination in this subject 

 The standard of work was good, and most candidates showed a clear knowledge of 

 tbe principles of book-keeping. The Examiner again remarks, however, that it is 

 desirable that more attention should be devoted to a comprehension of the objects 

 of book-keeping, namely, to get information about the business which will be useful in 

 its successful development, and that mere accuracy in recording receipts and payments 

 is not in itself sufficient. Many of the candidates showed too little regard for the advan- 

 tage of neatness and tidiness when dealing with figures. 



Agricultural Zoology (200 marks). R. A. Harper Gray, M.A., M.Sc. 



The written papers in Ag:ricultural Zoology showed a good knowledge of the 

 subject on the part of most of the candidates. It may be well to mention, however, 

 that, compared with those of last year, many of the answers showed a lack of con- 

 ciseness and neatness of arrangement, while several candidates gave, in their answers 

 to the questions, matter that was not asked for. There was also a marked absence of 

 illustrative diagrams that might have been used with advantage. 



In the vim voce examinations many of the candidates showed a good practical 

 acquaintance with the specimens supplied, and with the important economic points 

 relating to them. 



Veterinary Science (200 marks). Professor Sir John McFadyean, M.B. 



The knowledge displayed by the candidates was scarcely up to the average of recent 

 years. It was ascertained that some of the candidates had not yet taken it course 

 in chemistry, with the result that their grasp of the elementary facts of digestion and 

 other physiological processes was very defective. The writing and spelling of many 

 of the candidates left much to be desired. 



9. The thanks of the Board are again due to the authorities 

 of the University of Leeds, 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. ' 



Alexander Cross, Chairman. 

 Thomas McRow, Secretary. 



16 Bedford Square, London, W.C. 

 May, 1914. 



