1922.] 



Farm Institutes. 



615 



County Council have decided to apply to the Board of Education 

 for an amending scheme under which it is proposed that the 

 control of the Institution shall be transferred to the County 

 Council. It is contemplated that the Institution shall then 

 become the centre for all agricultural education conducted under 

 the Council and be recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture 

 as a Farm Institute for the county. 



MADRYN CASTLE FARM SCHOOL.— The Carnarvon 

 County Council was the first Council in England and Wales to 

 estabhsh a Farm School under the Development Fund Regula- 

 tions, the Madryn School being opened in 191B. The Council 

 took active steps in the formation of small holdings under the 

 Act of 1908, and felt that it was a condition of the real success 

 of the movement that it should be supplemented by a well 

 organised and comprehensive scheme of rural and agricultural 

 education. Moreover, they were alive to the need for dis- 

 seminating modern ideas of farming amongst the agi'icultural 

 community of the Lleyn Peninsula, and for giving instruction in 

 improved methods of cultivation. When therefore in October, 

 1910, the Madryn Estate, extending to an area of about 2,239 

 acres, and comprising a mansion together with extensive out- 

 buildings and a walled garden, was acquired for small holdings, 

 it was decided to convert the Castle into a farm school and to 

 farm the adjacent land as a demonstration holding. 



The School, which is about 7 miles from Pwllheli — the nearest 

 railway station — is situated in the heart of the Llevn Peninsula, 

 an extensive agricultural district containing an exceptionally 

 large percentage of small holdings. 



The mansion is ancient and historic and appeals strongly to 

 local sentiment, as it was, previous to its acquisition by the 

 Countv Council, the home of the familv of Love Jones Parrv, 

 who was descended from the North Wales princes, and was the 

 hero of the political revolution of 1689. It has been 

 adapted for teaching and residential purposes, and contains 

 accommodation for the resident stai¥ and 30 students. 



The, Farm. — The farm is about 200 acres in extent, of which 

 170 acres are arable and meadow land. The soil, w^hich is loamy 

 in character, is well adapted for the growth of most of the 

 ordinary farm crops. 



The farm is managed as a mixed holding. The native breed of 

 Welsh Black cattle is kept and a herd of about 14 dairy cows is 

 maintained. The majority of the calves are reared. Field ex- 

 periments are conducted in connection with varieties of potatoe|s, 



