AUGUST. TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN SURREY. 459 



with a natural apathy for mental exercise, but in power of perception, 

 and even enthusiasm for scientific teaching, our experience with the 

 Surrey labourer leads us to conclude that the stupid countryman is 

 to some extent a myth. 



We are far from a universally enlightened state among the 

 rural population, but it only needs a continuous application of well- 

 organised teaching of a carefully-selected kind to make Technical 

 Education among village communities a real power in the country, 

 which will not only lead to a rise in the tone of society, but to an 

 improved physical condition of the people. 



The causes of failure, which has been small, are not far to seek. 

 Want of adequate advertisement and explanation of the design is 

 responsible for a good deal. At the commencement last September 

 few districts had any conception of the nature or object of the work, 

 and various schemes were put in force without suitable or sufficient 

 warning. With a people who are inclined to move slowly and con- 

 sider matters, nothing is more injurious to success than a sudden 

 call to arms — chaos results, and a bad beginning, instead of leading 

 to a good end, leads to total extinction. 



Fortunately little injury of this kind has happened, but traces 

 were bound to occur here and there. One of the first requirements 

 in the accomplishment of satisfactory progress in these country 

 districts is the formation of a representative local committee which 

 will endeavour to rouse interest in the general scheme. Too 

 frequently has the work devolved upon single individuals whose 

 efforts, though in many cases excellent, are not likely to have the 

 character of permanency. 



It was necessary at the commencement to make some already- 

 existing committee a basis for operations. These, however, were 

 merely temporary, and in over 120 towns and villages in Surrey 

 properly constituted committees exist, and work has been carried 

 out. 



The peripatetic system has been resorted to, and a considerable 

 variety of subjects have been taught — health lectures, nursing, dairy 

 work, drawing and woodwork, together with different branches of 

 science — the average attendance at each of the science classes and 

 lectures being between thirty and forty. The writer has been chiefly 

 occupied with the teaching of Botany for agri- and horticulturists, 

 and it is with the experience gained and the conclusions arrived at 

 that this article is concerned. 



The practical value of the science which deals with plants is 

 obvious, when we consider that the animal creation depends for its 

 existence on the vegetable kingdom, and no system of education for 

 the population in rural districts can be considered complete without 

 giving a large share of attention to scientific teaching in regard to 

 the life processes and structure of plants. 



No science, however, in Great Britain is in a more purely 



