JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 

 OF ENGLAND. 



I. — On Middle-Class Education, having reference to the Improve- 

 ment of the Education of those ivho depend upon the Cultivation 

 of the Soil for their Supjwrt. By E. Vallentixe. 



Prize Essay". 



Strictly speaking tlie main question is, How the rising genera- 

 tion of farmers is to be educated in a suitable manner for their 

 future profession and position in society, at such a cost of time 

 and means as can be afforded. 



I have found it most difficult to come to any practical con- 

 clusion on this important question, although aided by many ex- 

 pressions of public opinion, also by extensive reading and cor- 

 respondence on the subject of education generally. 



It is now fully admitted on all hands that the rural or National 

 Schools are not suited to the requirements of farmers' sons. On 

 the other hand, the leading public schools are too classical, 

 and costly in both time and money, for farmers' sons, who must 

 generally have finished their schooling when other pupils are 

 only advancing towards the completion of their education at 

 the Universities. There are doubtless in some neighbourhoods 

 good private schools, well adapted to the demands of farmers ; 

 but these are rather the exception than the rule. If then, on the 

 whole, the schools at present in existence are not sufficient and 

 cannot be made so, there is no alternative but to erect new schools, 

 Avhich ought to be under such direction and inspection as would 

 be a guarantee for a thorough system of efficient teaching in those 

 studies which are essential to the future farmer. Then how are 

 these to be started, and how many would probably be required ? 

 j\Ir. Brereton and some others recommend county schools ; others 

 advocate professional education at agricultural colleges. The 

 new schools would, at all events, be chiefly boarding-schools, and 

 consequently rather more costly than local schools situated within 

 walking distance of the pupils' homes. Such schools, if efficiently 

 conducted, could hardly charge less than oO/. a year, a sum 



VOL. II. — S. S. B 



