1907.] 



Agricultural Education. 



653 



I2S. 6d. a week and upwards. A poultry school, extending over 

 a period of three weeks, is held twice annually at a fee of 



12. T/ie Essex County Technical Laboratories, CJielmsford, — 

 The principle adopted at this centre is to base the teaching of 

 the sciences fundamental to agriculture on practical laboratory 

 work. Three courses of four to five weeks each are given in 

 the winter and spring in agriculture, chemistry, physics, botany, 

 and zoology. No instruction is given in the actual processes 

 of farm work, it being held that these must be learnt upon the 

 farm itself 



In dairying, the instruction is given in an elementary two- 

 weeks' course, and a more advanced course of six weeks ; prac- 

 tical work in the dairy is an important feature in both courses. 



In horticulture, four courses of instruction of three to four 

 weeks each are given to young gardeners. The school garden is 

 three acres in extent, and consists partly of botanical plots and 

 partly of fruit, vegetable and flower borders. There are also 

 a number of classes in scientific subjects. County scholarships, 

 entitling holders to free tuition, are given, no fees being 

 charged. 



13. The Bedford AgriciUtiiral Institute, Ridgmont, A spicy 

 Guise. — This institute consists of a good farmhouse with build- 

 ings, a small dairy, and a farm of rather over 270 acres. It is 

 open to men in winter and women in summer, and the courses, 

 which last for five weeks each, are designed to afford instruction 

 on sound practical lines to young men and women who cannot 

 take long advanced courses of training at the higher agricul- 

 tural colleges. For students living in the county of Bedford the 

 fee, including board and lodging, is ^^2 for the course, and for 

 other students £,10. Special arrangements, however, l>ave been 

 made for the admission of students from adjacent counties. 



13. The University College, Reading, — Separate instruction 

 at this College is given in agriculture, dairying, poultry-keeping 

 and horticulture. 



In agriculture, there are two regular courses, one in scientific 

 and practical agriculture extending over two years for the 

 diploma, and a six months' course for the certificate. The fee 

 for the diploma course is ;^i8 per session of three terms, and for 

 the certificate course £\2 for two terms. In the case of students 



