JOINT COMMITTEE'S REPORT, 1890 321 



RESULTS OF PRESENT POLICY. 



In short, the evidence is complete that the recent and very 

 moderate development of a policy of affording State aid to 

 technical agricultural teaching and Scientific research has already 

 produced most gratifying results, and there can be no doubt that, 

 if these Government grants were administered under regulations 

 which would ensure their annual continuance, provided that 

 certain necessary conditions, to be laid down by the Board of 

 Agriculture, were observed, a considerable development of 

 technical agricultural instruction would soon take place. 



FARMERS' REQUIREMENTS AS TO PERMANENT SCHOOLS. 



The want of technical agricultural instruction at permanent 

 schools, the cost of which shall be within the means of farmers, 

 still remains to be supplied. This matter has received the special 

 consideration of your Committee. 



They are convinced that a thorough knowledge of farming must 

 be obtained upon a farm, and that it cannot be acquired elsewhere. 



The Committee have had to examine the question, " For 

 what class of farmers is this technical teaching most urgently 

 required ? " In an Agricultural Return for 1886 presented to 

 Parliament, statistics are given of the number and size of agri- 

 cultural holdings. Omitting the holdings under 50 acres as being 

 either held in many cases by persons engaged in other pursuits, 

 or by small farmers whose means would be insufficient to pay for 

 anything beyond elementary education for their sons, we find 

 that there are stated to be in England and Wales 



Farm holdings above 50 acres and under 100 acres 54,937 



Farm holdings above 100 acres and under 300 acres ... 67,024 



121,961 



Farm holdings above 300 acres and under 500 acres ... 11,841 

 Farm holdings above 500 acres and under 1000 acres ... 4,194 

 Farm holdings above 1000 acres 573 



16,608 



The Committee come to the conclusion that the more immediate 

 want of agricultural technical training is for the large number of 

 farmers whose holdings are under 300 acres. 



It may be taken as a general rule that the sons of these farmers 

 would not be likely to remain at school after sixteen years of 

 age, and that in order to provide them with some useful knowledge 

 of farming they must have opportunities of acquiring instruction 

 in the theory and practice of agriculture during their school years. 



ENDOWED SCHOOLS MIGHT SET UP AGRICULTURAL SIDE. 

 After careful consideration the Committee have come to the 

 conclusion that by far the easiest way of providing the necessary 

 teaching would be to utilise a certain number of the endowed 



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