THE EDUCATrON OF TTTE COTTAGE AND MAKKET OARDEXER. 121 



A subject which needs far greater attention is "rural econonlics," dealing 

 with the principles of co-operation (for purchase and sale), markets 

 and marketing, credit banks, &c. Evening schools have very greatly 

 diminished in many counties during the past four years, for it was found 

 that, as a rule, their work went little beyond the three R's. We need to 

 introduce the three R's into the evening schools, but this should be 

 done incidentally in the study of subjects of technical and industrial 

 importance. 



Other Means of Further Education. 



There are several other means of spreading a knowledge of and an 

 enthusiasm for horticulture among small cultivators beyond those which 

 have been alluded to. The model allotments in Oxfordshire, for example, 

 have done good work in the past, and have been the means of intro- 

 ducing an altogether better quality of produce. The educational gardens 

 in the West Riding of Yorkshire — gardens worked conjointly by the 

 members of the garden under the direction of the county instructor — 

 have been the means of introducing gardening into one of the blackest 

 colliery districts and giving a humanising and intellectual interest to 

 men whose surroundings could otherwise hardly fail to be degrading. 

 Then the horticultural societies of small cultivators which exist in some 

 parts of the country, by creating enthusiasm and competition among 

 their members, do much to foster a desire for improvement. Lastly, the 

 local flower and vegetable shows, of which I suppose many hundreds 

 must have been held during August in all parts of the country, are 

 having the same useful purpose. The one held at Broughton Castle 

 this year, at which the Gordon Lennox Challenge Cup was competed for, 

 was memorable to me, not only for the excellence of the allotment-grown 

 produce, but for the keenness of the members of the competing societies 

 of allotment holders. 



Higher Rural Schools. 



Lastl}', I want to say a few words as to the further education of lads 

 of the class whose parents can afford to give them something more than 

 an elementary school education, and who are destined to become market 

 gardeners on a larger scale, or superior professional gardeners. It is for 

 lads of this class that higher elementary schools are being established, 

 and what we want is that in rural districts these schools shall include 

 among other practical rural subjects, horticulture as a prominent subject 

 in the curriculum. The best example of such a school is that established 

 ten years ago by the Countess of Warwick at Bigods, near Dunmow. 

 The pupils (boys and girls) have none of them had more than an 

 elementary schooling, and they receive an education which almost ranks 

 with that of a secondary school except that instruction in Latin is 

 replaced by outdoor work in the orchard, the garden, and the experimental 

 field for the boys, and by cooking &c. for the girls. The school is worthy 

 of strong support, and I wish the members of this Society could see the 

 excellent horticultural work that is being done there. 



But besides higher elementary schools in rural districts we badly 

 need an increase in the number of schools which give short courses of 



