IN A UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM 13 



The increase in the two classes of pupil in the past two 

 years is relatively the same, and amounts to practically 

 50 per cent. A difficulty in the earlier years was the 

 attracting of students, but the main difficulty now is the 

 finding of accommodation for them. As a consequence, 

 most of the agricultural colleges have had to embark on 

 large building schemes ; the South-Eastern College at 

 Wye, for instance which is affiliated to the University 

 of London having had twice, within the past five 

 years, to enlarge its premises, until now over 100 men 

 are in residence, and the applications are more numerous 

 than can be entertained. Perhaps the figures that refer 

 to Cambridge may have a special interest for an Oxford 

 audience. In the Michaelmas Term of 1899, when the 

 Agricultural Department was placed on its present 

 basis, the number of students was twenty-five, of whom 

 two were graduates; in 1903 the number was thirty- 

 three, three being graduates; while the present academic 

 year opened with fifty men in the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment, of whom fifteen had already taken a degree. 



Having briefly reviewed the present position of 

 Higher Agricultural Education throughout the country 

 generally, we may now, perhaps not unprofitably, devote 

 some time to inquiring as to our own attitude in regard 

 to the subject. 



If not quite so prompt in taking action in the 

 educational revival of 1890 as one or two other 

 Universities or University Colleges, Oxford cannot be 

 accused of unnecessary delay, for we find that on 

 April 27, 1891, the Hebdomadal Council appointed a 

 Committee of eight (which it subsequently increased to 

 nine) to 'consider in what way the University could 

 assist in the establishment of agricultural education, 

 with a special view to the needs of County Councils'. 



