162 MODEL FAEM SCHOOLS. 



see how decidedly it carries the opinion of the country 

 with it." 



Besides schools for general education, there were also 

 50 agricultural schools in connexion with the Board at 

 the end of 1848. 



The model farm at Glasnevin, and school of train- 

 ing for agricultural teachers, under the skilful manage- 

 ment of Mr Donaghy, has been already referred to. 

 Much interesting information as to this and the other 

 agricultural model schools of Ireland, will be found in 

 the able report of Dr Kirkpatrick, the agricultural in- 

 spector under the Board, at page 252 of the appendix 

 to their fifteenth report. 



The establishment of model agricultural schools, the 

 commissioners find, will be attended with far greater ex- 

 pense than was at first anticipated. It may be doubted 

 whether there is really any great practical advantage 

 to be obtained by teaching agriculture as a branch of 

 the national school education. In fact, I have never 

 been able to understand why agriculture should form a 

 subject of elementary education, any more than baking 

 or brewing, tailoring or shoemaking, or any other of the 

 usual occupations of industry. A few successful and 

 intelligent practical farmers in a district, carrying on 

 their business on strict principles of commercial profit, 

 would form, in my opinion, more useful instructors in 

 agriculture to their neighbourhood, than is at all likely 

 to be attained by the somewhat theoretical farming 

 taught in an elementary school. 



Where, however, the schools are united with con- 

 siderable farms, like Glasnevin and Templemoyle, the 



