TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



427 



It would not be practicable for the 

 children to analyse the ash in detail, but 

 its composition could be explained to 

 thcni, and by ^'rowing plants in pots con- 

 taining artilicial soils from which each 

 of the constituents was omitted in turii, 

 they could learn the importance to plant 

 life of all the constituents. 



After this, all of which would be in- 

 teresting work to both pupil and teacher, 

 there would be but a short step to an 

 elementary knowledge of the chemical 

 composition of soils and of commercial 

 plant foods, and the pupil could make 

 intelligent use of the latter either in 

 growing pot plant, or in clutivating 

 small garden plots. 



By a similar progressive course, with, 

 however, less practical demonstration 

 — for the experimental growth of animals 

 does not readily lend itself to work of 

 this kind — the composition of plants and 

 vegetable matter generally may l)e dealt 

 with when viewed as food for animals; and 

 the pupils may learn elementary facts 

 about flesh-forming food, heat-producing 

 food, and bone-forming food. They may 

 be led to understand something about 

 mixed diets, and may even be given 

 arithmetical exercises in the mixing of 

 fodders. 



I may here suggest the usefulness of 

 - introducing into the ordinary arithmetic 

 books exercises of an agricultural kind. 

 For instance, the valuation of commercial 

 fertilisers is simple enough for any far- 

 mer's child to do. Here, for example, 

 is an illustration of the kind of exercise 

 that might be given : — 



If 1 per cent, of nitrogen in a ton of 

 manure is worth 12s., 1 per cent, of phos- 

 phoric acid is worth 5s., and 1 per cent, 

 of potash is worth 4s. 6d., what would 

 be the value per ton of a manure con- 

 taining 5 per cent, nitrogen, 10 per cent. 

 phos])horic acid, and 4 per cent, potash ? 



Merely by introducing into ordinary 

 school-books exercises like the above 

 relating to various practices of agricul- 

 ture, some useful knowledge may be 

 rapidly spread through the country, for 

 farmers' children would naturally speak 

 about such things to their parents. 



I would also like to mention here the 

 matter of instruction in the nature and 



use of statistics. Elsewhere 1 have used 

 the following words : — "Successful over- 

 sight of a country's agriculture dcjiends 

 uiuch upon the use of statistical returns. 

 These btatistical returns need to be reli- 

 able, and it is a moral duty of citizenship 

 to furnish accurate returns. If some idea 

 of this moral responsibility could be im- 

 planted in children's minds when they 

 the impressionable the gain would be 

 great." 



Lessons about statistics could probably 

 be introduced into the reading books. 

 Boys, for instance, would be interested in 

 statistics about sport, and a story could 

 be written about the evils resulting from 

 the falsification of returns in some case 

 of rival cricket clubs; this might lead to 

 two or three other lessons showing how 

 statistics generally are collected, and the 

 use that is made of them. 



What I have said above will suggest 

 what might be done in various other 

 directions. Similar methods of treat- 

 ment could be adopted in regard to plant 

 diseases, insect life, and bacterial facts 

 of agricultural significance. Such ele- 

 mentary exercises could not be regarded 

 as having any pretension of 'teaching 

 farming, and they could be conducted 

 by teachers of no agricultural training. 



The first step to the practical applica- 

 tion of these suggestions would be to find 

 out how much time could be spared in 

 the schools for the work. With an 

 hour a week during four years a good 

 deal could be done. The time at dis- 

 posal being determined, the next step 

 would be the preparation of a text-book. 

 The writer of the text-book would have 

 to go through all the proposed experi- 

 ments and exercises, so as to practically 

 determine the time necessary for their 

 due execution, the appliances needed, and 

 generally to precisely lay down the pre- 

 cautions and conditions needed for suc- 

 cessful work. The text-book would be 

 in the form of a reader suitable to be put 

 in the hands of children, and this would 

 be supplemented by a book of detailed 

 directions and comments for use of the 

 teacher. After the teachers and inspec- 

 tors had studied these books, they would 

 need nothing more than to rehearse the 

 whole programme of work. This could 



