210 
Farming and Agricultural Training in 
by their teing detained in these institutions, but quite the contrary. Here 
the average age of boys on admission is about 13 j-ears. Under the Educa- 
tion Act they could not have been compelled to attend an elementary school 
after having attained the age of 14 years, and, being of strolling truant 
habits as a class, very few of them would ever have entered the door of an 
elementary school again after attaining that age ; whereas, being detained in 
a Pveformatory School, about three years on an average, and receiving three 
hours' secular education per day, they not only make good progress in their 
learning, but it is kept up for a time much longer than if they had been 
at large ; thus they certainly leave the Institution far better educated than 
they would otherwise have been. 
" Incidentally, I may mention that at our last Government inspection 
(15th December, 1885), taking the school all round, 96 per cent, of the boys 
passed their examination in reading, writing (including dictation), and 
arithmetic uj) to the Fifth Standard, inclusive. 
" John Hepple, 
" Head Master, 
" Calder Farm Reformatory School, Mirfield, YorJcsJiire." 
The foregoing account is so exhaustive that little remains to 
add. The system of marks illustrated by the two Tables is the 
same as that adopted at a large number of Reformatories. As 
at the Liverpool school, the garden-land is changed to farm, and 
a portion of the farm to garden from time to time. The boys 
are taught how to milk, and to perform other duties connected 
with the care and the feeding of animals. The inmates are 
divided between two houses situated about a quarter of a mile 
apart. As at other Reformatories, great difficulty is experienced 
in finding wet-day work ; but here 1 saw what was to me a novel 
arrangement. It consisted of a large ship's windlass, fitted with a 
number of long handspikes ; to these the boys' power was applied 
by a row of them at each spoke pushing, and a row opposite 
them pulling. On the day of my visit the power thus obtained 
was used to drive a threshing-machine. Mr. Hepple informed 
me that the farmers round about are not disinclined to take the 
Reformatory boys when they are discharged, and many of them 
work at farms on licence. As to the educational state of the 
school at the 1884 examination, 18 boys were in Standard Five, 
24 in Standard Four, 31 in Standard Three, 28 in Standard 
Two, and 11 in Standard One. "The school-room work was 
creditable, and told of careful attention on the part of the 
teachers." 
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS. 
I. — The Boys' Farm Home, Church Farm, East Barnet. 
" The average number of boys is 87. They are admitted from the age of 
8 up to 14 years, and discharged at the age of 16. Only destitute boys are 
admitted, and such as are destitute from misfortune and not from the culpable 
