AGRICULTURE 1 



The recent history of agriculture in France has been 

 that of a general movement, at first opposed, but finally 

 remarkably successful. No training in agriculture is 

 complete without including some knowledge of the 

 organization and methods developed in France. 



The first movement was in the direction of agricultural 

 education. In 1848 the government adopted a plan 

 which provided agricultural teaching of three grades: 

 (i) elementary practical instruction, (2) secondary 

 practical and theoretical instruction, and (3) advanced 

 training in the Institut National Agronomique. From 

 the beginning good results were obtained, but opposi- 

 tion led to the suppression of the Institut, and to a re- 

 duction in the number of the other schools. Later, 

 through the efforts of Eugene TISSERAND, a successful 

 organization of agricultural education was established, 

 and the Institut National Agronomique was re-estab- 

 lished with a competent staff, and since 1876 has been 

 demonstrating its great usefulness. 



Secondary instruction is given in the three great central 

 schools of Grignon, Montpellier, and Rennes; horti- 

 culture is cared for by the ficole Nationale d'Horti- 

 culture, founded at Versailles in 1874; while the special 

 needs of various regions have been met by secondary 

 schools. Between the farm schools, intended to train 

 skilled laborers in the practical side alone, and the 

 secondary schools, there seemed to be too wide an inter- 



1 [Drafting Committee: J. M. COULTER, University of Chicago. 

 ED.] 



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