Reformatory and Industrial Schools. 
185 
taining to the farm. It gives them a good idea of farming, and accustoms 
them to habits of steady industry. But as this is not an agricultural district, 
few of them are able to follow it up ; but on leaving they mostly get re- 
munerative employment iu the numerous works in the district, and manj^ 
go to sea ; in all of these they find the benefit of their previous training, being 
very hardy. 
" We do not think that the elementarj' education suffers through being 
combined with practical work, but the number of hours devoted to school 
work in Keformatories does not allow of so many subjects being taught as ia 
Board Schools. The hours, however, in which school work is carried on in 
Keformatories would not be practicable in Voluntary Schools, being early 
mornings and evenings, 
" D. J. Rhys, 
" Secretary, Glamorganshire Reformatory School, 
" Ty Segur, near Neath." 
This Is a well-built school, situated on the top of a " mountain " 
innocent of a road. The soil is very thin, and in many places 
the bare rock crops up ; some of the land is very wet, and has 
been stone drained. As the rock is generally only a few inches 
beneath the surface, the grass easily becomes burnt up ; but, on 
the other hand, owing to the configuration of the rock-surface, 
one corner is wet enough to allow of the growth of osiers, 
which the boys use for basket-making. The land was through- 
out very clean, and the crops of cabbages, savoys, broccoli, »Scc., 
were on August 26th very good for the year. Onions and 
parsnips are also grown, and salt is found useful as a preventive 
of disease in these vegetables. The produce is chiefly sold at 
Port Talbot, because the tradespeople of Neath rebelled against 
the competition of the school. Of 51 boys, the Inspector found 
20 in Standard Five, 8 in Standard Four, and 10 in Standard 
Three. 
V. — The Hardwicke Reformatory (Gloucestershire). 
" Eighty-four boys were the average of last year (1884). They must be, 
in the opinion of the Court which commits them, under 16 when committed. 
We don't like receiving them under 12. They are committed to us for from 
3 to 5 years ; we may allow them to go to work after 18 months, but we 
keep a watch on them, and recall them if they are not satisfactory. We 
keep our boys here on an average 2J years. We make a return of all boys 
whose sentence has expired within 3 years. Last year there were 90 such ; 
85 reported doing well ; 3 doubtful (i.e. idle, or out of work, or suspected) ; 2 
convicted; none unknown. Their past history would be far too long to 
write ; their future we cannot tell. But we have to keep a watch on them 
for 3 years after the expiration of their sentences (this is often for 5 years 
after they leave us on licence). The report of 1883 was that 56 boys had left 
us during 1881-82-83, of whom 2 were re-convicted, 2 were idle or unsatis- 
factory, and the rest were doing well. We consider that one of the most 
important parts of education we can give our boys is to teach them to earn 
their own living. Most of our boys come from the large towns, and most of 
them return to a town life, but for all the first essential is — a habit of steady 
labour. I know of nothing which gives this habit so well as steady agricul- 
