292 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



Variety trials. — A number of varieties is grown in sextuplicate on a plot 55 ft. by 

 205 ft. — six sections. 



One section is trenched each year — the others are worked one spit deep. At the 

 same time the trenched section has garden refuse worked into the second spit. All 

 sections are dressed with artificial fertilisers in spring. No dung is available, but 

 rape meal has been used during the last year. The yields are calculated on tons 

 per acre and also crop : seed. Since 1919 we have grown more than twenty immune 



Varieties for 1925. — Tinwald Perfection, Kerr's Pink, Catriona, Katie Glover, Ally, 

 Arran Comrade, Kok. 



Varieties on small plots.— Field-Marshal, Majestic, Di Vernon, Arran Chief, King 

 Edward, Ben Lomond, Golden Wonder, Crusader, Ben Cruachan, Immune Ashleaf. 



Seed size trial. — This year we are planting sets of Arran Comrade and Tinwald 

 Perfection from tops of known yield. Strong tops and weak tops were selected last 

 year from a plot of the above varieties planted very widely (rows 4 ft., sets 3 ft.), so 

 as to remove any possibility of mutual interference. 



The tubers, ranging from 1 oz. to 3 oz., have been selected and planted this year 

 in the same way as the previous generation (common plot). 



Cut set trial. — Tubers were cut so as to have a good sprout on each portion. One 

 group of such portions was exposed to the sun and wind before planting. Another 

 was kept under a damp sack for a similar period of time (dual plots). 



On the same plots it is proposed to try planting potato sprouts with a very small 

 portion of tuber attached (after suitable period under sack to allow the cut surfaces 

 to seal themselves). 



3. SCHEME OF AGRICULTURAL STUDIES AT CHRIST'S HOSPITAL. 



The Agricultural work at Christ's Hospital has been an experiment applied mainly 

 to the occupation and development of boys who show little progress under ordinary 

 school curriculum. 



When a boy in the Middle School has remained there long enough to have studied 

 the chemistry of air and water, etc., he usually gets the opportunity of joining a 

 class for elementary biology in connexion with practical work on a small experimental 

 farm of five acres. He is kept in this set for a year if possible, but it often happens 

 he passes on to the form above at the end of one or two terms only. He may then, 

 if he wishes, join the agricultural class proper, with the intention of going on the land 

 when he leaves the school. This class consists of about 16 boys. Their time-table 

 enables them to spend two whole mornings per week on agricultural studies, including 

 practical work on the land, tending and feeding a horse, pigs, goats, poultry, and 

 bees ; or biological work in the laboratory, or out of doors ; the rest of their time is 

 devoted to Chemistry, Mathematics, History, Geography, and Manual instruction. 



The Agricultural Scheme consists of the following : — 



(a) to run a 5-acre strip of land as a miniature farm for crops and stock (including 

 pigs, fowls, goats, rabbits, and bees), to which has been added lately 2 acres of grass i 

 land : 1 



(b) to study rotation of crops and permanent wheat strip with various manured i 

 sections. These give enough elementary knowledge of results of chemical manures, j 

 etc. to lead to a desire for more ; 



(c) to use the grass land in part for manure tests on permanent grass lands ; 



(d) to give boys a turn at being stockmen, carters, accountants, record keepers, 

 naturalists (collectors of insect pests, and weeds, etc.) ; 



(e) to encourage boys to look upon the farm as their own, and to hold them 

 responsible for its condition. They are under orders themselves to find something 

 to do which they see requires doing when no definite job is allotted to them. This 

 leads to much discussion why they decide a certain thing is more urgent than another. 



The Science Master in charge says in reference to the work : 



' I have found that there is always something new one can use as educational 

 material, and I change my material pretty frequently to suit the nature of the boys, 

 the varying seasons, and other conditions. This is one of the most valuable features 

 of the subject for schools in my opinion. It prevents staleness and getting into a rut 

 both for teacher and taught, but it requires a wide knowledge, and much experience 

 of boys. 



