30 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



years. Formerly many students attended the classes for one year 

 only, but now the great majority take the full two years' course. 

 The veterinary student's course extends over four or even five years, 

 and the full course is taken by all the students, as that is essential 

 to enable them to pass the necessary examinations. 



Alike in the agricultural and veterinary departments the subjects 

 taught and the arrangements of the classes are similar to those in 

 all similar institutions in this and other countries, and need not 

 therefore be detailed. It is, however, important to note that no 

 farm is attached to this great college, nor is any attempt made to 

 teach the students any branch of practical farming. The instruction 

 given is purely theoretical, and the students are expected to acquire 

 a knowledge of the practice of agriculture — where alone it can be 

 learned — on the farm itself. The staff of the college includes twenty- 

 two professors and lecturers, besides twelve assistants and tutors, 

 and contains in its ranks a number of able men, of whom Professor 

 Bang has a world-wide celebrity on account of his important 

 researches and discoveries in animal tuberculosis. Attached to the 

 college are large research laboratories, which receive an annual 

 subsidy from the State of about £7700 per annum, in addition to 

 the annual subsidy of £14,800 given to the college. It is entirely 

 due to this liberal support that the staff and equipment of the 

 college have attained to such a high standard of abihty and com- 

 pleteness, and that it has been possible to carry on these researches, 

 which have produced results of such wide-reaching importance, not 

 only to the dairy industry of Denmark and of the world, but also 

 to the whole liunian race in those countries where tubercular 

 disease has been for so long a dreaded scourge. 



State Aid to Agriculture 



The State aid to agriculture in the form of grants of money is, 

 although not inconsiderable, less remarkable for the total amount 

 than for its distribution in such a way as to foster a variety of 

 related objects. Not agricultural education and research alone are 

 assisted ; subventions are given to encourage local associated 

 efforts : cattle and poultry breeding societies, milk control unions, 

 agricultural shows and similar organisations. Thus helped, small 

 groups of farmers, taking the initiative, became increasing com- 

 binations, and group was rapidly added to group. For example, 

 the first cattle-breeding society was started in 1886 ; a year later 

 the State began an annual grant of £5 to each society ; in 1902-3 

 these societies numbered 769. So with the milk control unions. 

 Originated in 1895, there were in seven years no fewer than 308 

 unions, each in receipt of a subsidy of thirteen guineas. A like 

 progress attended the formation of local agricultural societies, of 

 which there are upwards of 100, receiving an average subvention 

 of £90 per annum. The following list brings together the total 

 yearly sum of the principal State grants of money to agriculture, 

 direct and indirect, according to the latest available information : — 



