EDUCATION. 121 



subject. Germany has more than four times the number 

 of continuation schools [Ldndliche Forthildiingsanstalten) 

 that it has of MittchchuUn, because it finds them so useful. 

 And their number keeps steadily increasing. It instituted 

 them originally with a non-agricultural object. Once 

 more, it wanted to catch its fry young — make sure of young 

 folk who still had the habits of school discipline upon them, 

 before they had grown into ways of independence, tending 

 on the one hand to idleness and loafing, and on the other 

 to the falling into the widely spread net of hated Socialist 

 propaganda. They were to be kept " in hand," so as to 

 grow up good, obedient Prussians and submissive soldiers. 

 They have done that. But they have grown up at the 

 same time also superior agriculturists in their various 

 grades. 



In Belgium the same service is, very effectively, rendered 

 by the sections agricoles — which, in truth, are agricoles 

 only in the effect which they produce — (in contradistinction 

 to the agricultural schools proper, the ecoles agricoles), 

 but to which much of the forward condition in which Agri- 

 culture normally finds itself in the " Little England of the 

 Continent " is distinctly due. In the Netherlands it is the 

 " courses of winter lectures " — which, like the Danish 

 Folkshoejskoler, admit also adults, for whom they were 

 really mainly intended — which discharge the same duty. 

 Throughout we find it recognised, and strongly recognised, 

 that, apart from technical education — which teaches the 

 handling of implements, of crops and of live stock — it is 

 most essential that the mind of future agriculturists should 

 be carefully trained for a receptivity for further learning, 

 but trained with a distinctly agricultural spirit flavouring 

 the teaching. The results have proved such theory to be 

 correct. Why, then, should not we be able to apply it in 

 something like the same way ? 



Although the general teaching ruralised is effectively 

 supplemented by scientific and technical training, that is, 

 however, abroad not considered sufficient to produce good 

 agriculturists, either of the self-employing or of the employed 

 class — the latter of which has, where land is easily obtain- 



