EDUCATION. 11- 



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The lectures want to be supported by demonstrations, 

 the cattcdrc amhidanti of Italy, which have been copied in 

 other countries, carry their entire teaching apparatus, 

 so far as it is required, about with them. How much such 

 teaching, simultaneously to the ear and to the eye, will 

 effect we have seen when running our " Egg Demonstra- 

 tion Train " from London to the West. Such " Demonstra- 

 tion trains " have become a standing and recognised feature 

 of Agricultural Education in Ontario. In Germany teachers 

 at " winter schools " are required under their agreement 

 to hold demonstration lectures in the open in the summer 

 months, to which both youths and adults are invited. In 

 the United States — when once interest is roused, quite 

 remarkable zeal is exhibited — gatherings which have been 

 named " Farmers' Institutes " have proved exceedingly 

 successful. Mr. Wilson, the late Secretary (that is. Minister) 

 of Agriculture, explains their object in this way : 



" The absence of agricultural instruction in the schools, and 

 the coming on to the farms of millions of people from foreign 

 lands, together vvith the widespread interest in the results of 

 agricultural research, have made it necessary that means be 

 devised for giving agricultural people instruction by word of 

 mouth, which will enable them to understand and utilise the 

 information so largely given out in the publications of this 

 department and the stations. For this purpose the ' Farmers' 

 Institutes ' established under public authority in the states 

 and territories furnish an agency of great usefulness. It has, 

 therefore, seemed highly desirable that this department should 

 ally itself closely with the ' Farmers' Institutes ' and make them 

 efficient instruments for the wide diffusion of the knowledge 

 gained by the Department and other agencies for agricultural 

 research." 



Such Institutions, which some ten years ago had in all 

 about a million people inscribed as hearers, are held in 

 convenient centres, where fields for demonstration are 

 available, and are attended by hundreds of people, many 

 of whom travel long distances. In some cases the number 

 of those present is known to have exceeded a thousand. 

 There may be one gathering only, or the proceedings may 

 be spread over the better part of a week. According to 



