ON AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND ITS ADJUSTMENT 

 TO THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS. 



By FRANCIS WATTS, C.M.G., D.Sc., F.I.C. 

 Commissioner of Agriculture for the West Indies. 



THE very varied aspects and the great range of subjects 

 embraced by the designation " agricultural education " 

 make it difficult to formulate clear views on the subject 

 and tend to some confusion of ideas, nor are the difficulties 

 lessened if consideration is given to the tropical aspects 

 of agricultural education. In the latter case attention 

 has to be given to a range of conditions, of crops, and of 

 climates that may become bewildering. 



In much that has been said concerning agricultural 

 education, want of precision has resulted from omission 

 to consider carefully what class of pupil is to be trained 

 under each particular scheme and what he is to be trained 

 for; it may, therefore, be worth while to endeavour to 

 obtain a clear idea of the status of certain pupils and 

 their requirements. In what follows regard is mainly 

 given to agriculture in its tropical aspects, and chiefly as 

 exemplified in certain West Indian Colonies. 



Beginning with the most elementary grades, con- 

 sideration may be given to the scholars in elementary 

 schools. Both the critics and the well-wishers of this 

 class are often unduly disposed to urge an extremely 

 utilitarian method of training for these pupils, having in 

 view, perhaps unconsciously, something in the nature of 

 a technical school, and looking for results such as may 

 be expected from technical training. Obviously, this 

 seems unfair alike to teacher and scholar; all that can be 

 expected at this stage is an elementary familiarity with 

 the most striking facts of agricultural life in such phases 

 as will be presented to these elementary scholars when 

 they leave school. They may well be taught elementary 

 facts about plant and animal life, about the manner in 



