BY J. C. BRUNNICH, F.I.C. 57 



ing the importance of agriculture it is always to be wondered 

 at how completely agricultural education has been neglected 

 for years, and how farmers have been left to shift for them- 

 selves and battle with adverse circumstances. How to 

 educate the farmer has always been a question open to 

 different views and serious discussions. It has of late 

 3^ears been seriously taken up and the teacliing of the 

 elements of agricultural sciences liave been even introduced, 

 as it should be, in the lower schools. 



The first Chair of Agriculture in the University of 

 Edinburgh was instituted by Sir Williani Pulteney, in 

 1791, with Dr. Coventry as its first professor. An a£»ri- 

 cultural College was founded in Cirencester in 1839, which 

 is still in a very flourishing condition. In Ireland, an 

 agricultural school was established in 1821, which was 

 followed by the establishment of agricultural training 

 schools, and the introduction of the teaching of agriculture 

 in the national schools, which has proved a very successful 

 and economic system. 



Of great educational value are the numerous agri- 

 cultural societies existing everywhere. As early as 1723, 

 a ' ' Society for the improvement in the knowledge of Agri- 

 culture,^^ was established in Scotland, followed by a similar 

 Society in Dublin in 1737. The " Bath and West of 

 England Society " was founded in 1777. the " Highland 

 Society'' in 1784, the "Board of Agriculture'' was formed 

 in 1793, and controlled by Sir John Siiirlair, and the 

 " Royal Society for the improvement of Agriculture " was 

 established in 1847. 



At the present day we must consider the United States 

 of America to stand at the top of all countries with regard 

 to agricultural education, their system of Agricultural 

 Colleges, Experiment Stations, Agricultural Universities, 

 and the teaching of agriculture in lower schools is well nigh 

 perfect, no labour or expense appears to be spared. 



Let us hope that our country will soon be in a position 

 to spend a proportionate amount of money for the develop- 

 ment of agriculture, just as it is done elsewhere. We 

 must never forget that farming is not only the most difficult 

 of professions, but the only profession which is absolutely 

 indispensable to mankind. For this reason agriculture 



