Agriculture of Denmark. 
325 
These schools are almost exclusively established through the 
liberality and public spirit of" private individuals, who have been 
supported in their honourable undertaking by the Government, 
by public institutions, and agricultural societies. These schools 
have generally i'rom 300 to 400 pupils, principally of the yeomen- 
families, and the favourable result of such institutions is already 
visible on the farms of this important class. 
The government founded in 185G-1858 a school on a large 
scale for tlie education of all persons directly or indirectly con- 
nected with agriculture, gardening, or the veterinary science, 
which bears tlic name of the " Royal Veterinary and Agricul- 
tural School," and is situated in the neighbourhood of Copen- 
h.agen. \ oung men here obtain an excellent and very cheap 
education, which, no doubt, will prove most useful, whether their 
future calling be that of a cultivator of land or a public func- 
tionary, indirectly connected with the veterinary science, agricul- 
ture, or gardening. Though the formation of this school is but 
of recent date, yet it has already done some good service, and 
the government has been fortunate in the selection of managers 
and teachers. 
Of equal importance is the "Royal Society of Rural Economy " 
of Copenhagen, founded in 1769, which ever since has had a 
most important influence on the husbandry of the country. It 
has promoted, and, in some instances, offered prizes for treatises 
and books on this science ; it has given pecuniary assistance to 
men who wished to travel for the purpose of gathering practical 
knowledge ; it has caused lectures to be given on agriculture ; it 
has furnished different schools and parishes with books, newly- 
invented implements, &c. Its capital is above 16,000Z., inde- 
pendent of considerable annual subscriptions. 
Public agricultural meetings are frequently held in different 
districts. On these occasions the exhibition of animals, agricul- 
tural implements, and produce takes place, discussions are held, 
and prizes distributed. With a similar object a general meeting 
of agriculturists, from all parts of the country, is held every 
other year, in some locality previously agreed upon. 
The number of original writers on agriculture has consider- 
ably decreased during the last ten or fifteen years, and this branch 
of literature is at present too much confined to translations from 
G erman or French works, neither suited to the circumstances of 
this country nor appreciated or understood by the general farmer 
of Denmark : I am, however, informed that one of the able 
directors of the "Royal Veterinary and Agricultural School of 
Copenhagen " is preparing an original work on the subject, and 
have no doubt that it will prove a most valuable acquisition to 
the agricultural literature of the country. 
