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Agricultural Education in France. 



AVhile the provision made for education is apparently fully- 

 adequate to the requirements, it would seem that the results 

 attained have not been entirely in the direction contemplated, 

 and that but little advantage has been taken of the facilities 

 offered by those for whom it is primarily intended. A dis- 

 proportionately large number of pupils, it is stated, are 

 exhibitioners, and go through the curriculum with the object 

 of obtaining posts under the Government, rather than of 

 returning to their own homes and applying the knowledge 

 they have acquired to the improvement of their farms. One 

 of the main objects of the new superior council is, therefore, 

 to endeavour to so regulate the various schemes of agricultural 

 education as to secure the attendance of a greater number of 

 students from among the farming population, who will return 

 to the land, and not merely form an addition to the candidates 

 for Government employment. 



Commencing w T ith primary education, agricultural 

 teaching of a more or less rudimentary character has, under 

 a law of 1879, been made obligatory in the primary schools. In 

 several "higher primary schools 5 ' a course of regular agri- 

 cultural instruction has been introduced, while three are 

 specialty mentioned in the Year Book of the Minister of 

 Agriculture as enjoying a complete agricultural course. In 

 1 89 1 the number of those giving a direct agricultural course 

 is given as 14. Small gardens are attached to many 

 elementary rural schools, and the instruction in the' schools 

 themselves is stated to have produced most beneficial results. 



The above law further provided for the appointment of 

 "Departmental" professors in each department of the country, 

 whose duties would be to lecture to farmers, conduct fields of 

 " experiment " and " demonstration," and to teach during the 

 winter in the normal schools. In 1882 the number of these pro- 

 fessors was 55 ; in 1888 it was 87 ; in 1891 it was 90 — i.e., one 

 for each Department (including Algeria). Indeed, the growth 

 of the work of these professors has led to the creation of 

 another class, called " special " professors who also lecture 

 to country audiences, form part of the staff of superior 

 primary schools, colleges, and lycees, and in general keep 

 their pupils in touch with the progress, discoveries, and new 



