28 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



taining to rural affairs. The results each year were twenty-five acres of good turnips, 

 instead of ten or twelve of bad, and fifty stacks of corn in the stackyard, instead of 

 seventeen. The rent offered for the farm before I took possession of it was 150, 

 and after I relinquished farming it was let for nearly 400. The fee-simple arising 

 from this increase of rent represents a sum larger than what was expended in pro- 

 ducing those results. I believe I was the first person to introduce into Forfarshire 

 the feeding of cattle in small numbers in hammels, instead of large numbers in 

 large courts ; to show the advantage of building troughs around the walls of the 

 courts to hold topped turnips, instead of spreading untopped ones upon the dung ; 

 to confine sheep upon turnips in winter with nets instead of hurdles a plan which 

 the late Mr Andrew Dalgairns of Ingliston readily adopted, at my suggestion, even 

 with black-faced sheep ; and to grow the Swedish turnip in a larger proportion than 

 the other sorts. 



It must be remarked, however, that Mr Stephens had not the oppor- 

 tunity which now exists of studying in his professional training the 

 sciences bearing more immediately on agriculture. There was no Eoyal 

 College at Cirencester at that time, nor was the agricultural course in 

 the Edinburgh University of the same complete nature that it has 

 recently become through the joint efforts of the Government, the High- 

 land and Agricultural Society, and the Senatus Academicus. 



But although it is not only desirable but essential that the education 

 and practical training of the young agriculturist, who hopes to take a 

 high place in his profession, shall be of as liberal a nature as ' possible, 

 there still remains a large class of farmers to whom such training, edu- 

 cational and practical, is in a great measure unattainable from their 

 position. They may desire to give their sons as good an education as 

 they can afford, but their means are too limited to allow them to do 

 so on the scale which has been pointed out in these remarks. Education 

 having special reference to agriculture, as suited to the middle and 

 humbler classes of farmers, is still a desideratum in Great Britain. 

 Ireland has enjoyed greater advantages in this respect; and although 

 the system pursued in that country may not in times past have been 

 so productive of benefit as it was expected it would be, still, recent 

 alterations have improved its tone, and the Albert Institution, near 

 Dublin, as well as some of the larger school-farms in different parts of 

 the country, are now of a really useful character. 



It is much to be desired that technical education, having reference to 

 agricultural pursuits, should be introduced, as far as possible, into all 

 parish and countiy schools, as this would be of material advantage to 

 the boys in after-life, even if destined to be merely farm -labourers all 

 their lives. In the case of farmers' sons, who might be expected to 

 follow their fathers' occupation, such training would be of the greatest 

 consequence; and if such lads, instead of remaining constantly at home, 



