XXXVIII. S. H. BARRACLOUGH. 



not be expected to compare witli those obtained in, for 

 instance, the best class of agricultural college in America, 

 the course in which occupies four years, and in which very 

 often a student is required either to have had experience 

 in farm work before entering the college, or to obtain it 

 during the vacations. 



One further remark seems necessary, although I do not 

 know if the statement will meet with the approval of 

 either the one department concerned or the other, but I 

 can see no sound reason why agricultural education should 

 not be under the supervision of the Department of Public 

 Instruction, and this more especially since it is proposed 

 now to re-organise the scheme of technical instruction in 

 this State. It would appear to be almost obvious that the 

 expert knowledge necessary for the direction of such a 

 fundamentally important educational institution is to be 

 looked for rather in a department specially devoted to 

 education than to any other. This would make it possible 

 to co-ordinate the instruction given in the Sydney Technical 

 College and the various country branches, with that to be 

 had at the Hawkesbury College and the Experimental 

 Stations. At present there appear to be several subjects 

 that are taught in common at the two institutions, and 

 there appears to be room for possible overlapping, and con- 

 sequent inefficiency and lack of economy in the scheme of 

 instruction from the point of view of the State. To have 

 both under one department w r ould also make possible the 

 utilising of the country technical colleges for instruction 

 in agriculture and mining, which would seem to be largely 

 their proper sphere. Sound instruction in these matters 

 must pay as a national concern. The highest class of 

 instruction is not a luxury which can be limited, or even 

 dispensed with when funds are low, — it is a national invest- 

 ment, the return from which it is hard to overestimate. Even 



