Sept. 1, 1900.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, 
153 
of Agriculture, with a copy of a resolution issued 
by tbe Department, which shows the progress of 
ag.icultural education iu ladia up to 18J6. 
I will briefly note what has been done. In the 
Bombay Presidency there is, at Baroda College, an 
agriciillural branch, and lectures on agriculture are 
given at the Poena College of Science by the superin- 
tendent of the Bombay (jovernment Farms. There 
is also an agriculcural class in connection with the 
High Schools at Belgaum and Naidad. The Uni- 
vei sity of Bombay further offers a diploma in agri- 
culture, but not a degree. In the Madras Presidency 
there is the Siidapet Agricultural College, which has 
been established for a number of years. In tlie 
Central Provinces there is an agricultural class at 
the Government Farm. 
An agricultural class is also established at the 
Government Farm, Cawnpore, North-West Provinces. 
Both of the classes named are utilised by the educa 
tional department for the instruction of training 
School students and school-masters. The period of 
the agricultural course is ia both places two years, 
but tne cGui-se for schoolmasters at Nagpur is only 
for six months. The Allahabad University has also, 
so far, supported the CiWupjrs farm class, in the 
interests of a supply of agricultural teachers as to 
allow a special examination on science and agri- 
culture students who go up for the " school trial " 
certificate. It may be added that one of the training 
schools for teachers in the Bombay Presidency has 
on its staff an agricultural teacher who has obtained 
a college diploma, and gives lectures to the students 
in training on agriculture. 
The while question of agricultural education in 
India has, I believe, lately been put on a ncw footing 
entirely, through the acceptance by the supreme 
Government of the view that a thorongh and practical 
education in agriculture, ending in a high-class 
college diploma, or in an agricultural degree, develops 
the intelligence of students just as well as a literary 
course, and that it certainly lits tliem as well, if 
not better, for duties in the land revenue and cog- 
nate services. The Bladras Government has given 
effect to this view by making the diploma in agri- 
culture of the same value as a B.A. degree, as a 
qualilioation for higher Government service. The 
supreme Government of ludia has emphasised this 
view by placing on record the following conclusion, 
namely, that " agricultural degrees, diplomas or 
certificates should be placed on the same footing 
as corresponding literary or scientific degrees, &c., 
in qualifying for admission to Government appoint- 
ments, and more particularly those connected with 
land revenue administration." 
From the resolution of the supreme Government 
forwarded to me I learn tliat this Government has 
impressed upon the provincial Governments and the 
various educational deparments the policy of " making 
instruction in the rudiments of agriculture part and 
parcel of the primary system of instruction in the 
country, rather than teaching it as a subject apart 
from the general educational programme." Perhaps 
the intention of the Government of India as regards 
agricultural education will be more fully indicated 
if I note three other conclusions that are recorded ; — 
" (1) That the practice of allowing schoolmasters 
either be'ore or after appointment, to pass through 
a course of a few months on a Government farm is 
one which deserves consideration. 
" (2) That a Special school course leading up to 
the agricultural diploma, degree, or certificate is re- 
quired. 
" [H) That the [agricultural | diploma should eventu- 
ally be compulsory in the case of certain appoint- 
ments, e.g., agricultural teachers at tramging schools, 
assistants to tHe director of agriculture, cV'c.,' 
Before passing from India I may add that it does 
not suffer from a want of agricultural text-books, 
there being of late years quite a respectable number 
published both in English and the vernacular. The 
Government agricultural publications are also many 
and of service not only to the native cultivator but 
to the European planter. 
In Ceylon the elements of agriculture are taught 
as a specific subject in the Government schools, 
and a primer of agriculture has been published by 
the Director of Public Instruction. There is also 
a school of agriculture at Colombo which was opened 
in 18S4, and has ten branch institutions. From this 
school, to which a dairy is attached, agricultural 
instructors are sent into remote rural districts to 
illustrate improved methods. The school fur a number 
of years his also issued a monthly magizine and 
this along with the Tropical Agriculturist furnishes 
the agricultural literature of the colony, a colony, 
I may add, which has the reputation of being itself 
the best training ground for the tropical planter. 
Oar next group is the African. Here the first 
thing to be noted is, that following the example of 
the West Indies a number of Botanic stations have 
been established. The earliest was started in L igos 
in 1888, the next being at Aburi on the Gold Coast, 
the rest being located at Uganaa, Gambia, Sierra 
Leone, and in the Niger Coast Protectorate. These 
African stations, along with the Fiji station already 
mentioned, have a different mission to fulfil from 
those in the AVest Indies. Ihey are teaching 
stations, in fact, they are intended to instruct natives 
in the rudiments of what is for them, practically, 
an unknown art. In the West Indies, on the other 
hand, they are intended to assist the peasant popu- 
lation to put to profitable use and art they already 
know and possess. In British East Africa, besides 
the botanic station located in it, the European 
cultivation introduced by the missionaries may al-io 
be regarded as of education li value to the natives. 
Zanibar, again, has a Director of Agriculture, and 
his work on the same b isis may be regarded as 
educational. To British Central Africa the European 
planter has penetrated ; and at Zomba there is a 
Scientific Department to assist in working out the 
problems in pioneer cultivation that incessantly 
arises. Passing to Mauritius, I have to refer to Mr. 
Moore, who states that an attempt to start agricultural 
schools, and to introduce the study of agriculture in 
the rural primary schools of this colony, fell through 
for want of funds. 
I come now to the two self-governing colonies in 
South Africa. Natal has a Department of Agriculture, 
and employs both dairy and irrigation experts, but 
no school or college of agriculture has been established. 
Under the Natal system of school education, how- 
ever, agriculture is to some degree studied. Field 
work on a farm or garden, for instarice, is compulsory 
in all the native schools, and the last report of the 
Superintendent of Education (1898) shows that even 
in native girls' schools land is cultivated and garden 
work done by the girls. From this rep 'rt I also 
learn that the principles of agriculture was taught 
in three European schools. In the Government school 
at Estcourt it was taught to the boys and girls in 
Standards VI. and VII. At the Government school 
at Verulam it was taught to the boys in the same 
standards, and in the Government school at Ixopo 
it was taught to the senior pupils. The examination 
is not colonial, but under the regulations of the 
English Science and Art Department. in South 
Africa some of the conditions differ from the other 
colonies, in America and Australia, for instance, 
native labour is available, and the native has to be 
taught to labour on a farm, that is, do field work, 
for usually he is too backw^ird for any other kind 
of agiicuUural teaching. Again, the European farmer 
stands somewhat in a different position to the farmer, 
for example, in Australia, as he often has at his 
disposal, and can utilise, the labour of the natives. 
Passing on to Cape Colony, I might just note 
that the Agent-General for the colony in London 
advises me that he is unable to say precisely to 
what extent agriculture may be taught in the elemea" 
