Ac.KlCULTURE A mU) A I ) . 



89 



AGRICULTURE ABROAD. 



Agkicultukal Plots for I\ural Schools in Stain — Plant 

 Improvement Laav in Czecho-Slo\ akia. 



With the object of checking the growing exodus of population 



from country to town, and reducing the emigration of land- 



. . , . workers whose means and lack of instruction 



Agricultural Plots , ^ n n in. 



r 1 « 1- 1 do not alloAV (iiem successiuJlv to compete 



ior Rural Schools .^i ^ • . ' . r 



. Q . with other countries under modern condi- 



^ * tions, a Spanish Royal Order has been made 

 (Establishing a scheme of agricultural instruction in rural schools. 



Provision is made for plots of land to be obtained by schools to 

 enable teachers to instil into their pupils a love of nature and of 

 country life and to develop their powers of observation. As there 

 are insufficient teachers having the necessary knowledge and 

 training, not more than a trial of the scheme can be made at 

 present. The subjects to be taught are : — use of fertilisers, espe- 

 cially chemical manures ; influence of selected seed on the har- 

 vest ; rotation of crops ; preparation of the land and the use of 

 ma<:hinery, especially the type of plough most suitable for local 

 soils ; use of insecticides ; study of local climate as it affects crops ; 

 and the use of a simple system of book-keeping. 



A request for the addition of a plot to a schcx^il may be made by 

 municipalities, teachers, agricultural syndicates, or associations 

 of experts,, with the concurrence of the master of the school con- 

 cerned, provided that they can obtain land to the extent of 

 1 hectare (nearly 2J acres) which can be devoted to the objects 

 of the scheme for at least six years. A'^arious specified instru- 

 ments must be kept for obtaining records of local climatic 

 occurrences, and the books will be open to the public for the 

 better training of the latter. One day each week the school 

 children will be taken to the plot to see the work being performed 

 and to have it explained to them : and tlie teacher is recommendtnl 

 to arrange similar lessons for adults on public holidays. 



After paying all expenses of the plot, thc^ net profit will be 

 disposed of as follow^s : — 50 per cent, to im})rovements of the 

 plot. 25 per cent, to the School Mutual Benefit Society, or. faihng 

 that, to the canteen, wardrobe, holiday fund, or other special 

 institution connected with the school, and the remaining 25 per 

 cent, to the manager or foreman of the plot. Each plot will 

 have a national subsidy of 1.000 pesetas fnouiinally about 2-iO) 

 riUDUrillv to defrny r(Mit and otlitM- iioc(^^<;iry (^x])onses. This 



