14 Middle-Class Education. 



science upon science into a boy's head until it is utterly be- 

 wildered. After all, I have no doubt that many students at 

 Cirencester have learned much before leaving the College, but 

 many more might have profited, and to a greater extent, if 

 before they were entered they had learned hoio to learn. The 

 establishment has not hitherto been successful in a financial 

 point of view, for reasons, some of which have been alluded to. 

 The teaching, however, may be just as good as if the College 

 were paying a large dividend, although the result would not 

 conduce to the establishment of institutions of a similar kind 

 from which shareholders, as a rule, would expect some interest 

 for their money. 



Where farms are attached to schools or colleges they should be 

 managed by a rent-paying farmer, fanning in the same manner 

 as others who must live by their farms. I can scarcely see how 

 any mode of farming can be called good unless it pays, let the 

 crops or stock be what they may. 



It is a mistake to suppose that young men can learn the prac- 

 tice of farming by a few minutes' work now and then, or that 

 they can, under any circumstances, learn the practice of inarket- 

 «ng on a school-farm. Instead of working-pupils being of any 

 actual use, they are more frequently a very great hinderance to 

 the regularity of the various operations of a farm which are being 

 carried on by the regular labourers. 



The Glasnevin Training School in Ireland, where the boys 

 work a good deal, is not nearly self-supporting, notwithstanding 

 that the labour of the pupils is valued at from 150Z. to 200/. a 

 year. The crops have generally been very good ; still the whole 

 concern does not pay. 



Theie is at Limerick a branch Model Farm in connexion with 

 Glasnevin, where all the pupils receive education almost gratis, 

 some entirely so. There are buildings enough for 60 resident 

 pupils. So late as January, 1865, there were only 7 in-door 

 pupils, although gratuitous education and board would be 

 afforded by the National Board of Ireland for 11 pupils! Such 

 a state of affairs as this affords but little encouragement to the 

 establishment of more such schools, in some districts at least. 

 Farming in Ireland for some years past has been rather flat, so 

 that some farmers could not spare the labour of a son of 17 years of 

 age, even though he might be boarded and educated for nothing ! 



Glasnevin School and its branches have, however, done a great 

 deal of good to those who have attended them for some time, and 

 probably, in a national point of view, the outlay incurred in 

 sending out good practical farmers and land-stewards will be 

 much more than repaid by improved farming and the force of 

 example upon others. 



