690 



Report on Agricultural Education. 



[FEB., 



agricultural instruction provided by County Councils, and of 

 the methods adopted for giving instruction in manual processes. 

 The total sum awarded during the year for educational pur- 

 poses was ^10,5 50, and in addition ^355 was devoted to Grants 

 for Experiment and Research. 



During the year, the Board were able to add two educational 

 institutions to those that they previously supported with 

 financial aid, having awarded a grant of ^100 to the 

 Hampshire Farm School at Basing, and a similar sum in 

 respect of the Agricultural Institute in the County of Bedford. 

 The former of these institutions approaches in character the so- 

 called " Winter-schools " of Germany,'" which open in autumn 

 after the main work in the fields is over for the year, and close 

 in spring in time to allow of the pupils returning to their homes 

 in readiness to take part in the important operations of early 

 spring. In summer the school premises are utilized in impart- 

 ijig instruction in dairying to female students. A school with 

 precisely similar functions has for some years existed in 

 •Cumberland, and has been found to be of the greatest 

 possible assistance to the County Councils of Cumberland 

 and Westmorland in the development of their schemes of rural 

 education. It is a type of institution that might with much 

 advantage be duplicated once or oftener in every county in 

 England, and the Board are glad to be able to give their support 

 to examples in the north and in the south, which may serve as 

 models to other ' Education Authorities. The Agricultural 

 Institute in Bedfordshire is at present in something of a 

 transition stage, acting as a Winter School in Agriculture 

 and a Summer School in dairying. It is hoped that it may 

 develop into a centre from which the local requirements of a 

 group of counties in East Anglia may be served. 



In pursuance of their policy of encouraging the acquisition of 

 farms by Agricultural Colleges, the Board awarded a grant of 

 ^200 to the University College of Aberystwyth for this purpose. 

 There are now eight institutions which receive separate 

 grants for farms. - ■ . . ■ 



As regards the work of education at the various institutions 

 aided by the Board, the Report states that there is the 



* See page 691. 



