42 Notes on Agricultural Education at Home and Abroad. 
that " the general and prolonged depression of agriculture has 
had the effect of directing attention among all the nations of 
Western Europe to the advantage of more extensive provision 
for the scientific and practical instruction of farmers," and he 
intimates that there is amongst the cultivators themselves a 
much increased appreciation of the work. 
Belgium. 
Mr. Gosselin has fimiished a very interesting Report for 
Belgium, where the Ministry of Agriculture, which includes 
Industry and Public Works, appears to be the initiatory power 
in almost all matters of agricultural interest. The central office 
costs about 17,000?. per annum, and there is a further expendi- 
ture of 65,500/. in the last Budget, of which about 30,800?. is 
devoted to agricultural education, including the cost of experi- 
mental fields and agricultural lecturers. In addition to this ex- 
penditure, the Provincial Budgets furnished a sum of 20,800?. 
From this expenditure of 30,800?. on agricultural education, 
what does the State provide ? 
(1) There is the Government Agricultural Institution at Gem- 
bloux, in the province of Namur, with a farm of 148 acres, 
gardens, and experimental fields for teaching agriculture, horti- 
culture, and arboriculture. This institution has the advantage 
of being in close proximity to large breweries and sugar manu- 
factories, in which the students can have practical instruction. 
The course of instruction lasts for three years, and the students, 
who are not admitted under sixteen years of age, must pass 
an entrance examination on general and botanical subjects. 
Boarders, if natives of Belgium, pay 28?., foreigners 40?. per 
annum; day scholars — Belgians 12?., foreigners 10?. per annum. 
Successful students can obtain the diploma of agricultural en- 
gineer, which qualifies them for other official teaching positions. 
Attached to Gembloux is an agronomic laboratory for expe- 
rimental research and analysis. Similar institutions exist at 
Ghent, Liege, Has*selt, Antwerp, Mons, and Louvain ; at each of 
which the Minister of Agriculture fixes the fees to be paid 
for the analytical aud physiological examinations. 
(2) School of Horticulture and Forestry at Vilvorde and Gaud. 
(3) Botanical Garden at Brussels. 
(4) Veterinary College at Cureghem-lez-Brussels. At this 
college the course is for four years. The regular pupils pay 
12?. for the teaching of each scholastic year ; the free pupils 2?. 
for each course of lectures. There are at present boarders, 
but it is intended to do away with the boarding system, and 
to increase the number of pupils and reduce the fees. 
