ii6 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



with 208 " winter schools," of which 130 dealt with agri- 

 cultural subjects, being attended by 3,487 pupils, and 

 78 with horticultural, commanding a pupils' roll of 1,747. 

 In the two great countries of North America the combi- 

 nation of practice with science in the lowest class of schools 

 has still been maintained, under conditions differing from 

 those of European countries— conditions which plainly 

 justify such course. And a great feature is there made — 

 rather in contrast with what is now done in Europe — of 

 teaching elementary Agriculture in rural elementary schools. 

 The position of Agriculture is in both these countries rather 

 different from what it is in Europe, and it is thought to be 

 to the advantage of national Agriculture if, even on this 

 lowest grade, Agriculture is pushed, though that should 

 be to the exclusion or curtailment of teaching of some 

 other subjects, which are considered more pressing among 

 ourselves. 



In the more democratic countries of the European Conti- 

 nent, such as Switzerland, it is found that — just as has been 

 noticed in this country, as shown by the evidence given 

 before Lord . Reay's Committee — the three grades, or at 

 any rate two of them, have not infrequently lent themselves 

 to service as consecutive rungs in the " ladder," the instruc- 

 tion received in the lower grade stimulating the pupil to 

 go up to the higher. In the United States pupils climb up 

 the same ladder in virtue of advancing age, the social grada- 

 tion of the old countries not being there recognised. Origi- 

 nally " middle schools " were, like Colleges and Farm-schools, 

 organised as institutions for mixed teaching, theoretical 

 and practical. They were started by individuals as private 

 venture schools. About i860, however, in Germany, 

 Government took the matter in hand, eliminating the 

 practical teaching and confining instruction to theory. The 

 practice is considered a success. 



Since more particularly under the effect of Mr. Middleton's 

 Report, Germany has for the moment become our principal 

 exemplar, it may be not without interest to explain what is 

 the usual curriculum there for a young man preparing for 

 the calling of Agriculture, whether with an early prospect 



