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FRENCH SCHOOLS OF AGRICULTURE. 



The statistician last summer obtained at the office of the ministry ot 

 agriculture and commerce in Paris a variety of official data relative to 

 the French system of agricultural education, with current reports ot 

 progress, from which a few facts may prove interesting. The system 

 originally embraced three classes of schools. A central university or 

 agronomic institute, at Versailles, presenting the highest range of in- 

 struction, was abolished in 1853, a piece of questionable economy, deeply 

 deplored by French agronomists. Next in rank were three intermediate 

 or high schools, called regional schools, on account of their special adapta- 

 tion to the needs of the northern, western, and southern regions ot 

 France. The school of Grignon, in the department of Seine-et-Oise, not 

 far from Paris, devotes special attention to grande culhire, to grasses, 

 cereals, and industrial crops, to stock-breeding and to the agricultural 

 and viticultural interests of northern France generally. An agricultural 

 station is attached to the institution. The school of Grand eJouan, in the 

 department of Loire-Inferieure, studies especially the best methods of 

 bringing virgin lands under cultivation, mixed pastoral husbandry, 

 tenant farming, natural meadows, live-stock breeding, industrial and 

 fruit crops, and the agricultural industries of the western departments 

 in general. The school of Montpellier, in the department Herault, rep- 

 resents the agricultural peculiarities of the Mediterranean region, em- 

 bracing live-stock breeding, the replanting of forests, irrigation, silk cul- 

 ture and manufacture, and the agricultural, pomological, and viticul- 

 tural interests of the region of the olive, the mulberry and the orange. 

 It has a sericultural and a viticultural station attached. 



These and all other agricultural schools are under the direction of the 

 minister of agricultureandcommerce,to whom applications for admission 

 are addressed. By special indulgence foreign students may be admitted. 

 Each applicant must present a record of his birth, a certificate of moral 

 eharacter from his mayor, a medical certificate, showing that he has 

 been vaccinated or has had the varioloid, and a satisfactorily-indorsed 

 obligation to pay the tuition charges at the beginning of each term. 

 Pupils are divided into internal and external pupils, and free hearers. 

 The latter are admitted by the director of the school, who notifies the 

 minister of the fact. Applicants are examined in arithmetic, algebra, 

 plain geometry, (four books,) surveying, draughting, leveling, physics, 

 hydrostatics, hydraulics, chemistry, geography, &c. A bachelor of 

 science is exempt from this examination. 



The courses of theoretic study embrace agriculture, horticulture, viti- 

 culture, sylviculture, sericulture, natural history in all its branches, 

 zoology and zootechny, physics, mechanics, chemistry, meteorology, 

 mineralogy, geology, topographical engineering, agricultural construc- 

 tion, rural economy and legislation, rights of administration, agricul- 

 tural book-keeping, &c. Practical instruction embraces laboratory prac- 

 tice, analysis of soils, fertilizers, agricultural products, &c., water gaug- 

 ing, canal construction, irrigation, agricultural machinery, manipula- 

 tion of fruits and vines, livestock management, cereal, grass, and in- 

 dustrial crops, fabrication of alcohol, wine, and oil, farm management, 

 &c. Pupils passing a satisfactory examination on the completion of these 

 courses receive a certificate or diploma. These graduates may upon the 

 completion of an additional course receive the degree of agricultural 

 engineer. Of these latter graduates a few may obtain two years " stages '' 

 in private or public agricultural establishments. These " stagiaires " may 



