April 1, 1903.J Supplement to the "Tropical AgricuUimst." 
723 
ing itself closely with schools and seeking changes 
in the school courses, it surely will not do for 
agriculture to hold aloof from the educational 
movements of our time. It is true that attempts 
are being made to improve the condition of 
the rural school, but this must not be left entirely 
to the " schoolmen." The patrons of the schools, 
and the land-owners in the neighbourhood, should 
take an active part in the movement, and impress 
upon the schoolmen I heir reul educational needs, 
and help to adjust the schools to the advancing 
requirements of agriculture. 
Obviously the fundamental problem of our 
public schools is to give all the people at least 
the simplest rudiments of education. But this 
primary tnfk they have not established fs 
census reports can prove. Indeed it is illiteracy 
among the agricultural classes that is one of the 
greatest obstacles to the progress of agriculture. 
This " inert mass of absolute ignorance " prevents 
the introduction of better crops and better methods 
of cultivation ; and the effects of the few intelli- 
gent ones to improve matters are largely defeated 
by the stupidity of those who must be looked 
to, to give practical effect to suggestions for im- 
provement. There is, then, yet a great work to 
be done by schools among our rural communities. 
The great object before every school is to find a 
Ivay of getting all the available children within 
its walls, and keep them there long enough to give 
them a satisfactory training. For this funds are 
necessary, and the greater part of the money 
required for the proper maintenance of schools 
must be raised by taxation. This may not sound 
well, but the fact cannot be got over. There are, 
however, certain general principles to be applied 
in levying school taxes : (1) The aim should be to 
provide every child of school going age with 
equal opportunities for an education. (2) The 
wliole wealth of the "State" should be made 
available for educating all the youth of the 
State. (3) The individual communities requiring 
schools should contribute according to their means 
towards the support of their own school. The 
failure to observe these rules has resulted in 
keeping up the percentage of illiteracy, and has 
imposed too large contributions on the rural 
communities, or left them without proper induce- 
ments to contribute their share. The main object 
as regards maintenance, is to have such an adjust- 
ment of State aid and local self-help as will make 
the schools efficient and keep tlieir patrons alive 
to their best interests. It is not necessary here 
to discuss the merits of laws to check the evil of 
non-attendance at schools because of the money 
value of the labour of school children ; but it is 
sufficient to say that one of the inipoitant educa- 
tional problems to be solved is the securing of 
more general attendance of children at the ele- 
mentary schools provided for them. 
Though in some respects urban schools have 
the advantage over country schools, in others the 
reverse is the case, and there are many natural 
advantages in the latter. The free and open life of 
the country imparts greater vigour of mind and 
body ; the occupations of the country necessitate a 
more varied exercise of both mind and body, and 
the country environment furnishes a much wider 
range of materials for interesting study, which 
(the greater the pity) is almost entirely neglected 
by the schools. Given a bright, energetic and 
well-trained teacher, and 25 to 40 healthy and 
active country children between 5 and 18, and 
we may easily have a school where educational 
results will be of great merit, though it lacks 
the organisation and equipment of the city school. 
There are such schools, and they are doing a 
grand work ; but these serve at present only to 
brighten in a slight degree the glooming picture 
which portrays the unsatisfactory condition of the 
ordinary village school. The fact remains that 
if we are to improve our agriculture and compete 
with others on the best terms, if we are to 
make the conditions of country life attractive 
enough to keep the bright boys and girls in 
the country, if we are to equalise the advantages of 
country and town so as to maintain an intelligent, 
prosperous, progressive and contented rural 
population, we must give effective attention to 
the needs of our rural schools. 
ON POULTRY AND EGGS. 
At ancient feastings eggs were consumed in 
considerable numbers, foi it is recorded that 
at one in the time of Richard II,, no fewer than 
11,000 were provided. In the reign of Edward 
I. 450 eggs were sold for eighteen pence. In 
that of Edward II. a,d, 1314, eggs and other 
foods being dear, the price was settled by Parlia- 
ment at twenty for a penny. In A.D, 1316 
Parliament abrogated their dtcree, and then food 
was to be sold at reasonable rates. The prices 
allowed for the household of Henry VUI. were 
''For eggs from Shrovetide till Michaelmas, the 
hundred, fourteen pence, Michaelmas to Slirove- 
tide, the hundred twenty pence," which was 
evidence of their scarcity at the latter part of 
the year, and therefore of more value, 
Over five millions pounds worth of eggs are now 
annually imported into England, but not one 
half of these are used for culinary purposes. The 
calico printing works use over 40,000,000 eggs a 
year, photographic establishments use millions 
of dozens, and wine clarifiers 10,000,000 dozens 
in the year ; bookbinders, kid glove makers, 
and leather finishers use them in abundance, as 
well as other trades. The general public appear 
to have but little knowledge of the magnitude 
of the numbers wanted for practical commer- 
cial uses, apart from those of food, tiiough in 
the latter respect not a few of the figures are 
absolutely startling ; as an instance one of the 
London clubs alone contracts for more than 
100,000 eggs a year. 
Hens that are kept busy scratching a good part 
of the day will eat more and lay more. Layers 
want plenty of ground green, bone, broken shells, 
grit and vegetables Albumen exists to a large 
extent in fresh meat and ground green bone 
than in any other food. The shell of the egg 
