226 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1900. 
paper regarding the work accomplished in Greater 
Britain, indicates that the value of agricultural 
education is universally recognised iu the Empire. 
Its aim in the self-governing Colonies is to benifit 
the Imperial rate, and in the rest of Greater Britain 
to benefit the native race. The agriculturist in the 
self-governing Colonies, I would add, has, besides all 
the facilities for gaining knojvledge that has already 
been enumerated the command of services of a 
large body of scientific men acting as chemists, 
botanists, vegetable pathologists, bacteriologists, 
entomologists, &c., in connection with depart- 
ments of agriculture. Some of the Colonies in this 
respect are even better equipped than the Mother 
Country. 
I have already stated that those who go abroad to 
Greater Britain with the intention of engageuig in 
Bome from of soil cultivation, directly or indirectly, 
can be arbitrarily divided into two classes— planters 
and farmers. 
As regards the first named, from the survey made 
it would seem, generally speaking, that agricultural 
education in Greater Britain is intended almost 
exclusively for the natives, the planter directs rather 
than for himself. The question thus arises that 
seeing that planters commonly cultivate tropical and 
subtropical plants under similar climatic conditions, 
is a suitable technical training and experience 
obtainable at home? Further, would the training 
of an English agricultural school be of any general 
service to a planter ? These questions are undoubtedly- 
open to a good deal of discussion. The second 
eroup is the farming class and again practically the 
same questions can be formulated. Those who go 
abroad with the intention of farming find their 
wav into one or other of our self governing colomes, 
and they may be arbitrarily sub-divided into two 
divisions, i.e., those who already have some experience 
of farm operations and practical farm work, and 
those who have not. Seeing, then, that in Greater 
Britain to-day there exists nine agricultural colleges 
and schools, and that they all make instruction in 
practical work a distinctive feature of their curriculum, 
the question is, would both the divisions of settlers 
just differentiated equally benefit if they studied 
at these institutions ? Two reasons, I think, might 
be advanced why agricultural institutions, giving 
practically equal time to class-work and field work, 
are so universal in Greater Britain. The first is 
that those who have been settled on the land had 
themselves previously no experience of farm life, 
and would have welcomed such an opportunity 
had it been obtainable in their time, and now they 
judge of others needs by that of their own in 
the past. The second reason is that the majority 
of the pupils who do attend these institution are 
addmittedly drawn from towns. 
Dropping now all arbitrary defferentiation the 
question here again arises, can a training or edu- 
cation for farm life in (ireater Britain be obtained 
at home ' Colonial authorities state emphatically 
that it cannot. To give one illustration in support 
of this statement, I may say that I find in " The 
Government Handbook of Victoria" it is stated, 
with respect to agricnltural education, that '' there 
are institutions in England which profess to give 
. an agricnltural education fitting young men for 
colonial life, but the training obtained under such 
circumstances must be very defective. The knowledge 
of colonial conditions must be wholly theoretical, 
and the time spent in such institutions is likely 
to be almost entirely lost." Here is an authoritative 
statement, but, of course, it must be borne in mind, 
and due allowance be made for the fact that the 
Governmet in question, like other Colonial Govern- 
inentB have colleges of their own into which they 
naturally desire to attract intending settlers. Un- 
doubtedly the practice of Canadian, Australian, and 
South African farming is not as ours, but then 
the principles are the same. It matters then little 
whether it bo studied in thia country or in souae 
other part of the Empire. The institutions of thia 
country are very naturally better fitted for training 
English farmers than colonial settlers, and the students 
attending them are not far removed from the in« 
fluence of home. In the Colonies, on the other hand, 
and at the colleges there, the youth would be better 
trained for colonial life, but of course he would 
have to undergo an early separation from home and 
friends and all these two words imply. Aa to which 
is the best course to follow, authorities differ. 
The agriculture of this country is the result of 
centuries of experience and progress, and has be- 
come definite and specialised, but in the colonies 
agriculture is passitig through ■ the experimental 
stage only. The secret of success in such a stage 
of agriculture lies in what should also be the watch 
word of the colonial farmer adaptability. The 
colonial settler is called upon to apply in a variety 
of ways, and to adapt to a hundred parposei 
whatever knowledge he possesses of observed facts, 
and common or general principles. Here a^aia 
another question arises which could well be debated, 
i.e. — would an English training give a settler that 
hardiness, keenness, alertness, handiness, and general 
lon^-headedness necessary for action under the in- 
clusive term of adaptability ? 
I have endeavoured to avoid, as far as possible, 
interpolating into this paper my personal opinion 
or views. My aim has been to show the amount 
of good work that has been planned, and also 
accomplished, in Greater Britain, in furtherance 
of the interests of agricultural education. If I 
have even partially succeeded in doing this, I venture 
to think two conclusions can be safely arrived at. 
First, that throughout Greater Britsin, irrespective 
of climatic, racial, and political divisions, there is 
a universal movement to give all interested in the 
culture of land every opportunity, facility, and 
assistance possible to improve themselves, their 
art and craft, and the land and its produce. 
Secondly, that the purely educational or teach- 
ing facilities iu agriculture offered by other portions 
of the Empire, where the general agricultural con- 
ditions are somewhat akin to our own, are not only 
so distributed as to cover fairly the area in question, 
but are also equal in educational value to any of 
the agricultural training or teaching institution! 
in this or the other countries of Europe. 
These two conclusions I venture to think might 
be regarded as the logical sequence to the survey 
made, and facts recorded in this paper. 
FRUIT CULTURE IN QUEENSLAND. 
By Albeet H, Benson. 
THE COMPOSITION AND APPLICATION 
OF MANURES. 
(Continued from page 154.) 
FOR BANANAS. 
All banana-growers know that this fruit thrivep 
best in rich scrub land that is rich in humus and 
nitrogen ; hence any manure that is applied should 
contain these elements. Farm manure is especially 
adopted for this crop on account of the large quan- 
tity of organic matter it contains, and when it can 
be obtained' in quantity it is the best m inurial 
agent that can be applied. If followed by commercial 
fertilisers, its beneficial effects are considerably in 
creased. The banana is a strong quick growing 
plant; hence it is necessary that the plant food 
supplied to it shall be such that it ia in a readily 
available condition. This necessitates the use of 
quick-acting fertilisers, but they should be combined 
with a proportion of slower acting ones, so that 
the ejects may be more lasting. 
Where bananas are planted iu old land it ia ad- 
visable to apply the fertiliser at the time of planting, 
mixing it thoroughly with the soil that ia placed 
