Reformatory and Industrial Schools. 
211 
neglect of their parents. Their future careers vary very much, — domestic 
service, trade, or business, army, navy, &c., talce most of them. A few 
emigrate, and these mostly talte to agricultural work, while some take to agri- 
culture at home. The boys are employed on the farm, each boy being occu- 
pied about 6 hours daily. A small monthly payment, varying from id. to 
Is. Gd. is given as an encouragement. A few of the boys have small plots for 
the cultivation of flowers. 
" The area of permanent grass-land is about 36 acres, of arable land about 
9 acres, and of garden land 1 acre. The farm is the freehold of the Trustees 
of the Boys' Farm Home. The outlay for labour comprises payments to the 
boys at 4c?. to Is. Gd. per month pocket-money, two labourers at 22s. per 
week, and a farm bailiff at 35s. per week, with cottage, coals, gas, &c. Green 
and root crops for the use of dairy stock are mostly grown, with potatoes and 
cabbage for the use of the boys. There is no specified rotation, but grain 
crops are grown when it seems desirable. 
" The following live-stock are kept: — Horses — i in work and 5 foals at 
present. Cattle — 12 milch cows, 1 bull, 7 heifers and calves. Pigs — 8 breed- 
ing sows, 1 hog, young pigs varying from 40 or 50 to 1 or 2. Poultry — 
about 50 head. 
" For the year ending December 31st, 1884, the amount realised for milk , 
butter, eggs, live-stock, and vegetables was 983?. Is. 8d., of which produce to 
the value of 46?. 8s. 4(Z. was supplied to the school. The buildings are mostly 
substantial, brick and slate-roofed, being suitable for their purpose, and con- 
sisting of cowhouses, stable, barn, piggeries, poultrj-shed, cart-shed, and silo. 
" Agricultural work, in my opinion, is specially suitable for the lads of our 
Eeformatory and Industrial Schools from almost any point of view. Carried 
on judiciously, by which I mean not taxing the strength and endurance of a 
boy beyond his powers, nor exposing him unnecessarily to extremes of weather, 
it should result in that desirable combination, ' a sound mind in a sound body.' 
The constant physical exercise in the open air will develop the one, while the 
endless variety of occupation and subjects of interest in connection with it, 
wisely handled as a means of educating, should seldom fail in producing the 
other. For a boy who has to earn his living by labour, the lessons to be 
learnt on a farm are always useful, to such as emigrate they are invaluable. 
A well-managed farm is one of the best means of affording technical instruc- 
tion, and, when properly utilised with that end in view, would certainly f)lace 
the boys trained in it in a position far in advance of labourers who have had 
no similar advantages. Dairy operations are carried on here almost with the 
sole view of the production and sale of milk — a little butter is occasionally 
made. Most of the necessary work in connection with this is done by the 
boys. 
" The conclusions I have arrived at are, that practical work by no means 
inteiTupts or even retards the elementary education given in Industrial 
Schools. I find no difficulty in moving on boys of ordinary capacity one 
standard a year in elementary subjects, even while devoting a fair proportion 
of time to specific subjects directly bearing on their practical training. To 
dull boys the practical training is the most useful part of their education ; 
they do learn to use the faculties they are endowed with, instead of spending 
their time in a vain endeavour to develop powers they do not possess, 
" John Bowden, 
" Head Master, 
" Tlie Boys^ Farm Home, East Barnet, Herts." 
A comparison of the results obtained at this school with 
those described in the foregoing pages brings us face to face 
immediately with the question of the value of the raw material 
P 2 
