88 REPORT — 1844. 



husbandry and engrafting in them a knowledge of the best mode of employing their 

 hands as well as their minds. The principle adopted in these schools is to unite the 

 present national education with agricultural instruction, by making the labours of tlie 

 little scholars, while under tuition in the art of husbandry in the afternoon, to compen- 

 sate the master, in the way of salary, for the instruction they receive from him in the 

 usual course of our national education in the morning. As established at East Dean 

 and at Pevensey, they are attended by the happiest results. The usual quantity of 

 land required for the purpose does not exceed five acres, and for this the master pays 

 a rent. The scholars pay each one penny per week, which, with their services, are 

 found to be adequate remuneration to the master. He has used liquid manure, from 

 which the best results were derived. The produce of his land in one year real- 

 ised £40 after everything was paid. Some of his pupils had been eagerly engaged 

 by the farmers in his district, and there were many other pleasing results from this 

 new system of education. Captain Kennedy had established industrial schools in 

 the north of Ireland ; at Hardwick, near Gloucester, a similar school was established, 

 the Willingdon school being the model which they followed. Several other in- 

 stances were mentioned of the success of such schools. At one place the master 

 maintained himself and a family of six persons on three acres of land ; in another 

 place nine persons were maintained on five acres, both of which families were pre- 

 viously burthens on the poor rates. Instead of being burthens on their neighbours, 

 they are now helping to support the owner of the land by their rent, the church by 

 their tithes, the state by their taxes, and teaching all the boys who go to them at only 

 one penny a week to earn their livings in that state of life unto which it has pleased 

 God to call them ; they feed their native land with the surplus they raise from it, and 

 with nerves braced by healthy toil are ready to defend it should it be attacked, and 

 are interested in so doing, having hearths of their own to defend. Wherever fairly 

 tried Mrs. Gilbert was of opinion that the occupation of small portions of land for ma- 

 nual labour has been found to improve the moral character of the occupiers. No fears 

 of over-population ought to exist when land can be shown thus to be able to support 

 such a number of persons. The paper gave instances of the beneficial results of the 

 allotment system. 



A specimen of wheat, bearing above 100 full ears from a single grain, was sent for 

 the inspection of the meeting by Mrs, Gilbert. 



On the Mortality of Calcutta. By Lieut.-Col. Sykes, F.R.S. 

 The paper afforded some interesting facts, showing the rate of mortality of the 

 different classes in that place. It appeared that the rate of mortality was much greater 

 among the Hindoos than the Mahomedans, and that the Rom.an Catholics in Calcutta 

 were particularly subject to disease and death. In one return for a specified period, 

 the number of deaths among the Roman Catholics was 12'44 per cent., of the Hindoos 

 6*71 percent., and of the Mahomedans 3'47 per cent. The average of all classes was 

 3'98 per cent. For a period of twenty years the average deaths were 3^ per cent. 

 on the population generally. One table read exhibited the proportionate difference, 

 which the deaths in the several classes bear to each other. Thus 1 Mahomedan 

 dies to 2| Hindoos ; 1 Protestant to If Hindoo ; 1| Catholic to 1 Hindoo ; and 1 

 Armenian to 1 j Hindoo. In the military ranks it appeared that the deaths among 

 the single officers were 377 per cent., and among married oflBcers only 274 per cent. 

 The paper also included tables with regard to the operation of disease upon different 

 classes of the community. 



On the Statistics of Frankfort on the Maine. By Lieut-Qol. Sykes, F.R.S. 

 The principal object of this elaborate document was to develope the vital statistics 

 of that city ; presenting copious details of the situation, origin and history of Frankfort; 

 the plagues, fires and other disasters to which it had been subject ; the persecution 

 of the Jews resident within its walls ; the nature and extent of its buildings ; its de- 

 fective paving, lighting and sewerage ; its ramparts, which have been pulled down and 

 the sites converted into promenades planted with trees ; the constitution and govern- 

 ment of the city, political and municipal; the administration of justice ; its various 



