8 TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



which seeds germinate and plants grow, and the funda- 

 mental relationships of plants to the soil and air. They 

 may also be trained in certain simple operations, such as 

 the sowing of seeds, the propagation of plants by 

 cuttings, and perhaps such operations as budding and 

 grafting, and these exercises may and it is very desirable 

 that they should extend to simple operations conducted 

 in a school garden, where the pupils may learn something 

 concerning the handling of soil, the arrangements neces- 

 sary for the cultivation of simple crops, probably 

 principally of culinary vegetables, and of the various 

 incidents requiring the attention of the cultivator in order 

 to bring these crops to maturity, such matters as water- 

 ing and the protection of the crop from insect pests, all 

 of which, if judiciously handled by the teacher, afford 

 rich stores of material of educational value, and enable, 

 even in simple minds, an appreciation to be arrived at of 

 the fundamental facts in the life of a peasant. 



More than this it does not seem necessary to look 

 for or expect; indeed, if it is carefully looked at, it will be 

 seen that it really embraces a wide range, having regard 

 to the child mind, and, what is more, it admits of being- 

 carried into effect in practically every agricultural district, 

 and so demands no educational revolution or upheaval. 



This is, perhaps, as far as it is necessary to go in 

 connection with the elementary school, and as far as is 

 necessary in the case of the average child who is destined 

 to become an agricultural labourer. Should it be desired 

 to afford training of a somewhat more advanced and 

 technical character, some institution other than the 

 elementary school must be looked to. 



It must be remembered that the numbers who are to 

 receive this more advanced training will be very much 

 smaller than those attending the elementary schools, and 

 that the pupils so trained will stand out above the 

 ordinary agricultural labourer, and will look for minor 

 positions of trust carrying higher rates of wages than 

 those of agricultural labourers. 



A system of training in some institution where work is 

 carried on for other than educational purposes seems 

 best calculated to meet the requirements of this class. 



