148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



stand ; they do not know what these technical terms mean, 

 and when the result of experiments is l)rought before them, 

 they say, ' ' I cannot avail myself of that, because I don't 

 know aliout it." This I regard as an especially valualjle 

 point for these young men in the two-years course. We 

 have there this year twenty, more or less, young men in the 

 two-years course who have come there to take that short 

 time for training, and who are to be taught to know these 

 things in the way in which I indicate here, and they will 

 obtain enough knowledge in those sciences to enable them 

 to read those bulletins in an intelligent way. 



Two hours each week are given to class-room work in 

 such exercises as teach the correct use of good, plain English. 

 If I had time I should like this morning to expand on that 

 subject a little, for it is a matter of very great importance to 

 these boys to be al)le to use their mother tongue. They are 

 not the most proficient in its use when they come to us, and 

 I am sorry to say not all are proficient in its use when they 

 go from us ; but we feel that much is dependent upon their 

 ability to express themselves and give their thoughts to 

 others, especially in this age. They cannot live by them- 

 selves ; they cannot do business by themselves ; they must 

 mingle with men, and how are they to express their thoughts 

 to men except througli their English tongue? And, other 

 things being equal, you will employ the young man who 

 writes a page of correct, plain English rather than the young 

 man whose English is so full of errors that you are ashamed 

 of him and his teaching. 



Book-keeping and mathematics are taught ; practical sug- 

 gestions as to roads and road construction are given. It is 

 a thoroughly useful course and invites your earnest attention. 

 Only remember that here, as elsewhere, the stronger one's 

 mental grip the greater will be his acquisitions, and that 

 this which has been said applies to all research and investi- 

 gation also. If we wish to brinoi; home the wealth of the 

 Indies we must take the wealth of the Indies with us. 



The Chairman. Any questions that you wish to ask the 

 lecturer are in order. 



Secretary Sessions. I wish, if there are any persons in 



