536 
Report on Agricultural Education. 
appeared from time to time in the pages of this ' Journal.' In 
addition, there have been experiments on the mixed herbage of 
permanent grass-land, investigations as to soils, as to rainfall, 
and the determination of the composition of drainage-water, 
which have been of immense importance in elucidating the 
waste of nitrates in the soil, &c. 
Moreover, experiments with the animals of the farm have 
often been carried out at Rothamsted, and the following points 
have been investigated : — 
" (1.) The amount of its food and of its several constituents 
consumed in relation to a given live-weight of animal within 
a given time. 
" (2.) The amount of food and of its several constituents con- 
sumed to produce a given amount of increase of live-weight. 
" (3.) The proportion and relative development of the different 
organs or parts of different animals. 
" (4.) The proximate and ultimate composition of the animals 
in different conditions, as to age and fatness, and the probable 
composition of their increase in live-weight during the fattening 
process. 
" (5.) The composition of the solid and liquid excreta in 
relation to that of the food consumed. 
" (6.) The loss or expenditure of constituents by respirations 
and cutaneous exhalations — that is, in the mere sustenance of 
the living meat- and manure-making machine." 
IRELAND. 
Whilst in Great Britain so little has been done for agri- 
cultural education by the State, in the sister-country it may be 
said that almost everything that has been attempted for its 
advancement has been done under Government supervidon and 
with State assistance. Mr. Pringle's account of Agricultural 
Education, which was published in the 'Journal ' of the Royai 
Agricultural Society of England in 1873, throws much light on 
the attempts which have been made from time to time to afford 
useful instruction to the small farmers, who are characteristic 
of that country. 
In the year 1831 a commencement was made with the present 
system of National Education in Ireland, and at a very early 
period in the history of the movement the utility of diffusing 
among the people correct information upon agriculture was 
recojrnized. At first the efforts of the Commissioners were 
confined to the establishment at Glasnevin, near Dublin, of a 
