1921.] Agricultural Eesearcu as a Career. 



499 



A second advantage wliicli comes from the association of Research 

 Institutes with the universities hes in the informal co-operation 

 that is thereby ensured with other workers in the field of puru 

 science. . . . Lastly, contact with the business of farming 

 is more readily attained by the association of the Research 

 Institute with a University which is teaching agriculture and 

 dealing with the farmers of its district than with a Government 

 Department."* 



Parallel to the Reseai'ch Institutes are the Advisory Centres. 

 The Advisory Scheme is designed to place the sei'vices of 

 specialists in various branches of agricultural science at the dis- 

 posal of farmers in each of the ' ' provinces ' ' into which England 

 and Wales have been divided for the purpose of agricultural 

 education. There are advisers in botany and entomology who 

 deal with the fungoid and insect pests which attack plants, in 

 ^.•hemistry who deal mainly with soil questions; other advisers 

 will be appointed for animal diseases which are not dealt with in 

 ordinary veterinary practice, and possibly for other subjects. To 

 be able to advise, these men must not only start with specialist 

 knowledge but must be able to investigate the problems arising in 

 the district which they serve . The considerations which have deter- 

 mined the placing of research in the hands of institutions of a 

 university type have decided the Ministry to attach these 

 advisers also to such institutions. The grades, salaries and 

 general conditions of service are the same as those for research 

 workers. The advisers have a somewhat closer bond, however, 

 with the Ministry of Agriculture in that they may be called 

 upon, for example, to take part in organised m.easures against 

 some particular pest, and they submit to the Ministry periodical 

 reports on plant diseases which are collated with those from other 

 districts and other sources. 



A word may be said finally on the Research Scholarships 

 which are awarded by the Ministry, and which may be regarded 

 as an avenue to a career of agricultural research. In the present 

 year the maximum number of scholarships to be awarded is five. 

 The candidates must have taken an honours degree in natural 

 science or must produce other evidence of exceptional qualifica- 

 tions for an advanced course in some branch of agricultural 

 research. The applications are considered by a committee upon 

 which there sit leading men in agricultural science and certain 

 public officials : upon the decision of this committee the awards 

 are made. The scholarships are of the value of £200 a year, and 



♦ Sir D. Hall : Tnieinan Wood Lecture, Royal Society of Arts, 1921. 



B 2 



