324 EDUCATION 



afforded, they are conscious that many imperfections may possibly 

 be discovered in their review of the work of agricultural educa- 

 tion and research as now existing. 



They have, however, to the best of their ability, carefully con- 

 sidered the various points included in their recommendations, 

 and have arrived at their conclusions after full discussion. 



In their opinion it is not easy to exaggerate or overstate the 

 difficulties which especially in the corn -growing districts- 

 beset the great national industry of agriculture. 



The very general and prolonged depression has had the effect 

 of directing public attention to the necessity of providing scien- 

 tific and practical agricultural education, in order the enable 

 the farmers of the United Kingdom to meet the pressure of the 

 present active competition with the markets of the world. Old 

 methods may have to be abandoned, new methods may have 

 to be introduced, in every nation of Europe provision, more or 

 less complete, has been made to meet existing difficulties. In 

 this country alone, up to the present time, but little has been 

 done. 



Universal experience clearly shows that without State aid it 

 is practically impossible to establish any satisfactory system of 

 agricultural teaching, and the Committee strongly urge that 

 this assistance should no longer be denied to the farmers of the 

 United Kingdom. 



Signed on behalf of the Committee, 



R. H. PAGET, 



May 5th, 1890. Chairman. 



MINORITY REPORT. 



We agree, generally, with the recommendations of the Com- 

 mittee, that increased aid should be given by the State for the 

 provision of technical agricultural education. 



We do not concur in the recommendation that money should 

 be granted to Endowed or other Schools primarily existing for 

 the purpose of general education, because : 



(a) As stated in the report, " a thorough knowledge of 

 farming must be obtained upon a farm, and cannot be 

 acquired elsewhere." 



(6) The number of schools which it would be necessary, 

 under such a scheme, to aid if the grants from the State 

 were to be of any appreciable benefit to the agricultural 

 interest would be so large that any sum which Parliament 

 could reasonably be asked to vote would be utterly inade- 

 quate. 



We agree with recommendation No. 1, so far as it asks for an 

 educational farm, fully equipped for the teaching of agriculture 

 in all its branches, and properly conducted by practical men with 

 that view. W T e agree also that the careful carrying out on such 

 a farm in the best practical manner by qualified specialists 

 of useful experiments would be an advantage to agriculture. 



