428 



NA TURE 



\August 29, 1889 



apart from the personal qualities of those worl<in<]; under it ; and 

 havinn; formed a very decided opinion to this effect, we feel it 

 our duty to call attention to the subject, in the interests of 

 economy as well as of efficiency. The responsibility for the for- 

 mation and supervision of these collections should certainly be of 

 a more definite kind. 



14. Suggestions have been made that these collections might 

 encroach on the field occupied by other scientific museums. 

 With regard to this point we would call attention to the evidence 

 of Prof. Judd as showing that a practical distinction can readily 

 be drawn even at a point where two Museums closely approach 

 one another in character. 



15. In conclusion, we may summarize the results of our in- 

 quiries by expressing the opinion that little, if any, space can be 

 gained by weeding the existing collections, and that, subject to 

 the reservations we have made as to effective organization 

 and administration, and as to the character of the buildings to 

 be assigned to the collections, an exhibition space of about 

 90,000 square feet should be provided without delay, and would 

 suffice for the requirements of a creditable Science Museum, with 

 adequate space for all the departments for which it appears at 

 present necessary to provide. This space includes provision for 

 a scientific structural collection on the lines indicated in para- 

 graph 5 of this Report, but does not include any provision for 

 offices, warehouses, workshops, or other accessories to such a 

 Museum. 



John Evans. 

 Francis Hervey. 

 Rayleigh. 

 B. Samuelson. 

 Douglas Galton. 

 Henry E. Roscoe. 

 Stephen E. Spring Rice, Secretary. 

 July 23, 1889. 



AN ITALIAN'S VIEW OF ENGLISH 

 A GRICUL 7 URAL ED UCA TION} 



TN this brochure, M Italo Giglioli, Professor of Agricultural 

 Chemistry at Portici, has collected together a large amount 

 of information upon agricultural education and agricultural re- 

 search as carried out in the United Kingdom. A similar work 

 upon the teaching of agriculture throughout Europe, by the 

 same author, appeared last year. It is, however, noticeable 

 that the volume on English agricultural education is three times 

 the bulk of the earlier effort. M. Giglioli, as a foreigner, has 

 considered our methods worthy of a much more detailed Re- 

 port than those of the Continent. This can only be regarded 

 as a tribute to the excellence of English agriculture. We have 

 heard a great deal of late upon the small amount of interest 

 taken in agricultural education in England compared with Con- 

 tinental countries. An Italian Professor finds material for a 

 portly volume on our systems of agricultural education and re- 

 search, while he is able to compress his information upon the 

 German, French, and Hungarian systems into a pamphlet of 

 comparative thinness. 



As a matter of fact, the Continental nations have been, 

 at least in the past, ahead of us in these matters. The 

 value of what is done in England rests rather upon the 

 quality of our agriculture than upon our efforts to systematically 

 teach it. Continental Professors of Agriculture find it as 

 essential to visit England and to study English agriculture, as 

 would an American Professor of History to visit Europe, or a 

 Biblical student to visit Egypt and Palestine. The most noted 

 breeds of cattle, sheep, and pigs, the best types of implements 

 and machinery, the best artificial manures, the best systems of 

 farming, have originated in England and Scotland, and hence 

 the attention which is paid to agricultural research as prosecuted 

 in Britain. So far, however, as the study of Agriculture is 

 concerned, or painstaking and wide-spread investigation goes, the 

 Continental nations are before us. It is not by any means cer- 

 tain that with these advantages they will excel us in the actual 

 practice of agriculture. As a nation we are more adapted for 

 doing than for study, and our progress is generally the result of 

 pressure under competition, and the spontaneous adoption of 

 the best practices, as they are published in the press. Our 



' •' Educazione agraria Britaiiica," relazione di Itab Giglioli. iAnnali di 

 AgrUoltnra, 1S88.) 



improvements are less likely to emanate from technical schools 

 than from the promulgation of new ideas, new processes, new 

 material, new appliances, adopted by leading agriculturists, 

 exhibited and reported upon. 



M. Giglioli, like all Continental visitors to England, wonders 

 with great admiration at the spontaneous character of our efforts. 

 Here, we succeed without Government help. There, both teach- 

 ing and research often languish, although supported by huge grants, 

 and are always discontentedly asking for more. " II carattere 

 pill salienle che le distingue da tutte le altre scuole agrarie di 

 Europa, e quello dellaloro completaautonomia, anche finanziaria. 

 Esse non ricevono sussidio alcuno ne dal Governo, ne da pro- 

 vincie, ne da associazioni agrarie : vivono completamente sopro 

 quello che quadagnano. 11 contrasto tra le scuole inglesi e le 

 continental! appare nel seguente quadro." The author then re- 

 counts, in tabular form, the cost to the student, and the incom- 

 parably greater cost to the State, of agricultural education in 

 Germany, France, and Italy ; and, after showing that each stu- 

 dent costs his State from 700 to 2500 lire, in addition to his own 

 costs, he triumphantly writes " iiienle" in the column showing 

 the cost to the Slate opposite the chief English agricultural 

 schools. 



The author's introductory remarks having been concluded, 

 the principal Societies engaged in agricultural education in these 

 countries are next passed in review, and their methods, examina- 

 tions, prizes, diplomas, are described. Such matter will no 

 doubt be more interesting to Italian agriculturists than to 

 ourselves. The number of these means of instruction is probably 

 greater than many Englishmen are aware of, and, as a point of 

 considerable interest at the present time, we take the following 

 list from M. Giglioli's book : — 



The Royal Agricultural Society of England (an examining body). 

 The Rothamsted Experimental Station (for research only). 

 The Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester (instructional and 



examining body). 

 The College of Agriculture, Downton (instructional and 



examining body). 

 The Colonial College, Hollesley Bay (instructional and 



examining). 

 The Department of Science and Art, South Kensington 



(instructional and examining). 

 The Darlington Chamber of Agriculture (Lecturer employed). 

 The Normal School of Science, South Kensington (Agricultural 



Professorship). 

 The University of Oxford (Sibthorpian Professorship), 

 King's College, London (Agricultural Lectureship). 

 City of London College (Agricultural Lectureship). 

 The Worleston Dairy School, Cheshire, 

 The Sudbury Da'ry School, 

 The Weald of Kent College of Agriculture. 

 The School of Agriculture, Aspatria, Cumberland, 

 The Agricultural School at Alvecote, Tamworth. 

 The agricultural instruction given at various County Schools. 

 The facilities for agricultural instruction in rural Elementary 



Schools. 

 The Forestry Department at Cooper's Hill. 

 The Surveyors' Institution, 12 Great George Street, West- 

 minster (examining body). 

 The Royal Veterinary College, Camden Town. 

 The Brown Institute. 



The Highland and Agricultural Society (examining body). 

 The Agricultural Department of the University of Edinburgh. 

 The Agricultural Department of the College of Science and 



Technology, Edinburgh. 

 Course of Agriculture at Glasgow Technical College. 

 The Agricultural Department in Aberdeen University. 

 The Royal Veterinary College, Edinburgh, 

 The New Veterinary College, Edinburgh. 

 The Veterinary College, Glasgow. 

 The Agricultural School at Templemoyle, Ireland, 

 The Royal Albert Institution, Glasnevin, Dublin, 

 The Dairy School for Females, Glasnevin. 

 The Munster Dairy School, near Cork. 

 Canon Bagot's Creameries, Ireland. 

 The Governmental agricultural instruction in Elementary Schools, 



Ireland, 



The above Societies, Colleges, and Schools' engaged in the 

 work of agricultural education are all carefully described. The 

 list might have been made longer, as M. Giglioli does not seem 



I 



