August, 1910.] 



145 



Agricultural Education, 



adopted, on which all the pupils work to- 

 gether. The former system may fairly 

 be expected to bring forth better indivi- 

 dual results, for each boy proves his own 

 merit by the results which he achieves. 

 In the common plot the individuality of 

 the pupil is merged into the whole, and 

 it is difficult, if notimpossible,to separate 

 the keen and clever workers from the 

 idlers, of whom there are specimens in 

 every school ; the large plot, however, 

 has the advantage of allowing of 

 superior instruction being given as to 

 how an allotment or a cottage garden 

 would be actually cropped, and managed, 

 with a view to the production of the 

 utmost amount of vegetables from the 

 area at command. Rotations are not 

 now regarded as of the same importance 

 as they were some years ago, but it is 

 desirable that pupils should be given a 

 knowledge of the chief rotations, and 

 the advantages consequent upon their 

 use, as in certain circumstances their 

 adoption is imperative, and is quite 

 evident that these can never be as well 

 and clearly shown on an area of half a 

 rod or a rod as they can on 20 or 30 rods. 

 The balance might appear to be in 

 favour of the large plot, but something 

 must be debited against it on the score 

 of loss of individuality, coupled with 

 the fact that the spirit of emulation or 

 competition hardly enters into the 

 matter at all. This is a matter deserv- 

 ing of consideration, as a boy will usu- 

 ally strive much more strenuously and 

 persistently when he sees that his 



neighbour is getting ahead of him in 

 regard to the appearance of his ground 

 and his plants* 



The question arises as to whether it 

 would not be possible to adopt a middle 

 course between these two extremes and 

 so to combine the best points of both. 

 This might mean that each pupil should 

 be provided with a small plot— half a 

 rod would amply suffice in this case, 

 though as a general rule it is rather too 

 small — and that in addition there would 

 have to be one large plot, say of 12 rods, 

 on which the class would work in com- 

 mon. If it were practicable, this system 

 might perhaps be expected to produce 

 the most satisfactory results, for the 

 individuality of the scholars would be 

 retained in its entirety, while the com- 

 munal working would be advantageous 

 in conveying instruction as to the actual 

 cultivation of a garden. The larger plot 

 should be cropped just as if it were in 

 the hand? of an allotment holder, and 

 close account should be kept of the 

 approximate value of the vegetables 

 grown to set against the cost of pro- 

 duction in manure, seeds, tools, etc. 



The chief objection to the universal 

 adoption of the combined system lies in 

 the fact that it would involve the utili- 

 zation of more land. This is indeed a 

 serious point, and one which, in many 

 cases, might prove insurmountable, for 

 it is often difficult to find sufficient space 

 to put down 16 plots of each £ rod in 

 area. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



LITERATURE OF ECONOMIC 

 BOTANY AND AGRICULTURE. 



By J. C. Willis. 



Rubbers.— (Wild Rubbers— Africa). 



Une nouvelle plante a caoutchouc de 

 Madagascar. Le Caout. et la gutta, 

 1908. 



Die Kautschnkerzeugung in Kongo. 



Tropenfl. 11. 1907, p. 860. 

 Rubbers from the Gola Forest, Sierra 



Leone. Imp. Inst. Bull. Vi. 1908, 



p, 24. 



Notices sur des plantes utiles. . . , 

 du Congo, de Wildeman. II. 2, 1908. 



Rubber in Portuguese East Africa, 

 Ind. Journ. Sept. 1907, p. 310. 



Mgoa rubber in British East Africa. 

 Kew Bull. 1907, p. 282. 

 19 



Le Clitandra orientalis dans la Guinee 

 francaise. Journal d' Agr. Trop., 

 May 1909, p. 130. 



Les Landolpbias et les Mascarenhasia 

 a Caoutchouc du Nord de Ananalal- 

 ana L' Ag. Prat, des Pays Chauds, 

 July 1909, p. 9. contd. Aug. p. Ill, 

 Sept. p. 192 (conclusion). 



Note sur la production du caoutchouc 

 daus le cercle de Koroko. L' Agr. 

 Pract, des Pays Chauds, Sept, 1909, 

 p. 249. 



Le Caoutchouc en Cote d' Ivoire 

 L' Agr. Pract. des Pays Chauds, 

 Oct. 1909, p. 282. 



Rubber on the Ivory Coast. "T.A." 

 Suppl. Nov., '09, p. 458. 



Les Landolphia et les Mascarenharia 

 k caoutchouc Bibliotheque d' Agr, 

 C, R. 1910. 



