19 



13. On the effect of fresh and rotted manure, the mixture of various crops, 

 and many others. 



This field, says Mr. Flint, was very instructive and interesting. 



Speaking of the botanic gardens of this institute, he says : 



"I spent a good deal of time in the various parts of this garden. It is laid 

 out on a generous scale, with an agreeable park-like aspect; groups of trees, or- 

 namental and useful shrubs, parterres of flowers, and lawns well kept. A part 

 of it is devoted to annuals, where an immense number of varieties of wheat and 

 other grains are cultivated ; each plot labelled, so that the visitor may know, 

 without a guide, what each contains. In another part are the perennials, es- 

 pecially those of economical value. The grass garden forms a part by itself, 

 where the different species of grass are cultivated in little clumps, each labelled 

 with its scientific and common name, while an arboretum of considerable ex- 

 tent is at all times accessible for students and others." 



Course, of instruction, museum, library, fyc. These do not radically differ 

 from those of the institute at Jena, and therefore need not be particularized ; 

 but during the working weather there is too much work, and not enough of 

 study. Ten hours a day of labor, what, at least, an American farmer would 

 call by that name, is too exhausting to allow profitable study. Mr. Flint thus 

 speaks of the instruction on the practical farm of Hohenheim : 



" The students in the school of practical farming have a lecture from 5 to 6 

 o'clock in the morning, then work from 7 to llj, and from 1 to 6J or 7. They 

 have another lecture or study from 8 to 9 o'clock. The time devoted to study 

 and instruction is increased in winter and during rainy days. They are the 

 sons of peasants well off in the world, having enough to rent or buy a farm. 

 They enter for three years, and are not admitted for a less term." 



IV. Institutions discarding the languages, mathematics, and also manual 

 labor. It is hardly necessary to take any notice of these institutions. They 

 have assumed no prominence in Europe, and the only one referred to by Mr. 

 Flint is the institute at Geisberg, near Weisbaden, in the duchy of Nassau. 

 "It is intended," says Mr. Flint, "for the instruction of practical farmers, with- 

 out teaching practice on the place. It was founded in 1835, and on the princi- 

 ple that it is of no use to teach the theory and practice at the same school. 

 There is a small farm connected with the school, but, judging from the helter- 

 skelter or generally mixed-up condition of everything about the premises, I 

 should think they were quite right in not attempting to teach practice there. 

 Old ploughs, drays, carts, harrows, and everything, else lay around the buildings 

 in no small confusion. When I drove into the yard I felt sure we had made 

 some mistake, and had got upon the premises of a very slovenly farmer. 



" The theoretical instruction is given in a regular course of two winters. 

 During the intervening summer the students are either at home, at work on the 

 farm, or, if they desire it, the director of the institute procures them suitable 

 places with skilful practical farmers. 



" The instruction is given by lectures, and written and verbal questions on 

 the studies." 



A plan of instruction, like that of this institute, which ignores text-books and 

 practical agriculture, the experimental garden and field, and practical instruc- 

 tion in stock-raising, possesses but little power to successfully communicate even 

 theoretical knowledge only. 



Having noticed the most leading features of these different plans, before 

 leaving them it may be useful to point out some matters of a minor character, 

 but which are still useful. 



1. The general mode of communicating practical instruction. On this subject 

 we quote Mr. Flint's notice of that pursued at the institute at Grignon, in France : 



" The pupils are required to work four hours a day, and are successively 

 charged with different service on the farm, which they arc called upon to observe 



