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demand from one district comes from a large number of people. It is- 

 most gratifying to find that the efforts made to supply instruction meet 

 with such a hearty response and grateful appreciation. 



It is in the fields in actual touch with the soil and the plants that 

 real good is done. The cultivators know their own difficulties ; they 

 are quick and ready to assimilate ideas which are obviously improve- 

 ments on their own practice, especially when examples, such as pruned 

 cocoa trees, are left on their grounds by the Instructor as models to be 

 watched and followed day after day and year by year. 



Schools. 



Although instruction is sometimes also afforded to school children, it 

 is not possible to give the continual repetitions which are necessary 

 with children who are not so intent on earning their bread as their pa- 

 rents. What is absolutely necessary is a daily instilling of element- 

 ary agricultural ideas into the minds of the children by their school 

 teachers. 



Hope Industrial School. 



The Hope Industrial School at Hope Gardens is giving a good 

 training to a small number of boys which will fit them for agricultural 

 work when they leave. 



The Superintending Inspector of Schools writes: — "The Hope In- 

 dustrial School obtained at last inspection the total number of marks 

 qualifying it for a first class, but failed to reach first class standard in 

 writing. It takes a better position as an elementary school than six- 

 sevenths of the schools of the Island." 



The boys over 12 years of age have only 2 hours a day at reading, 

 writing and arithmetic in school, and those under 12 only 3 hours at 

 the usual school subjects ; the former working the rest of the time in 

 the Hope Gardens, and the latter in and around the school buildings. 



All have half an hour's daily instruction by the Superintendent of 

 Hope Gardens in the theory and practice of gardening. There is no 

 doubt in my mind that this practical teaching and questioning on the 

 work that they are occupied with during most of the day, sharpens 

 their wits, and enables them to make better use of their time in school. 



The following is from Mr. A J. Hopwood's Eeport, Master in charge. 



"On the 1st April, 1896, there were 27 boys in the In si itut ion. 

 During the year 15 boys were admitted, 3 were discharged, 1 abscond- 

 ed, his time expiring shortly after, 7 were transferred to Stony Hill, and 

 1 to Alpha Cottage, and 1 died in the Union Poor House. The 

 number of boys at the end of the year was 29, the increase being 2. 

 The average rate of increase for the past six years has been 2. Of 

 the boys transferred to Stony Hill, 2 were for repeated acts of miscon- 

 duct, 4 because they had been committed for criminal offences, and one 

 was a case of Yaws. One of the boys discharged was delivered to a 

 relative on special application ; one is now working in the Hope Gar- 

 dens ; the third obtained private employment. 



" The daily routine has been kept up. Of the 42 boys who have 

 been more or less inmates of the Institution during the year, 19 were 

 boys above, and 23 boys below 12 years of age. The older boys have 

 worked in the Hope Gardens for \\ y and 3 hours in the morning and 

 afternoon respectively : the younger boys have been occupied as usual 



