\ov. 1, i899.] Supplement to the ''Tropical Agriculturist." 
^9 
We liiive just received, through the courtesy of 
1 high official, a copy of a Report ^(only the series 
of Diplomatic and, Cousular Reports) on this very 
subject, ivritien hy Mv. H. A.istin Lee, Commer- 
cial Attache to Her M ijesty's Embassy at Paris. 
From it we leani that though various efforts iu 
the direction ^f agricultural education were made 
iu France during the latter half of the eighteenth 
century, it was not until 1822 that the first 
agricultural school was founded by Matthien de 
, Dombastle, at Boville, near Nancy. This school 
was quickly followed by others: in 1829 by that 
of Bella at Grignon, one of the most flourishing 
: institutions of the present day, aad in 1830 by that 
of Riffel at Grandjonaii. The introduction of the 
. present system of agriciiltural education, however, 
dates from 1875-76. When Minister of Agriculture, 
Monsieur Meline, in his official report published in 
May, 1898, advocated the institution of a ''Superior 
Council of Agricultural Education," which was 
organised by the decree of May 27th, 1898. It is 
charged with the supervision of all institutions, 
&c., affording agricultural education, founded or 
subsidised by the Ministry of Agriculture, and has 
a voice in all matters relating thereto. It meets 
at least once a year and forwards a report to the 
Minister of Agriculture, comprising its views res- 
pecting improvements to be introduced into tlie 
system as a whole. Of this Council of thirty, four- 
teen officials, including the officers in control of the 
various sections of the Agricultural Department, 
heads of the Veterinary, Forestry, irrigation 
Department^, Directors of Fore.=try and Agricul- 
tural State Schools and Pre4dents of Agricultural 
Societies, are ex-officio members. The rest of the 
members are nominated from amongst the agri- 
culr,ui\il and scientific notabilities of the country 
and others. They are appointed for four years, 
one-half of their number being renewed every 
second year. Fifteen members of the Couucil 
form a permanent Commission which meets to 
consider urgent matters whenever summoned by 
the Minister of Agriculture. 
The inspection of agricultural education has 
also been lately organised. There are now officers 
known as Inspectors-General and one inspector for 
each of the eight districts into which the country 
has been divided. 
The Inspectors-General are charged with the 
organization of the general agricultural show at 
Paris, the supervision of district agricultural 
shows, and the inspection of the " Institute Agro- 
nimique " and the National Agricultural Schools. 
The Inspectors are charged with the supervision 
of the establishments affording agricultural educa- 
tion in the general districts other than the 
abovementioned, with that of the departmental 
and special professors. They also organise and 
preside over the district shows. They are subor- 
dinate to the Inspectors-General. 
The corps of inspectors are recruited from 
qualified professors of various agricultural insti- 
tutions. 
The State expenditure on agricutural education, 
under this system, is, as may be expected, consi- 
derable. The votes for National Institutions 
aggregate £77,434, and for institutions subsidised 
by the State £75,028, or a total, for the year 1899, 
ot J6152,460. The receipts from fees and sale of 
produce in general establishments, giving as the 
figures for 1897, are between £12,000 and £13,000 
Agricultural education as it exisis in France 
may be divided into four sections, viz., Elementary, 
secondary, higher and general. ^ 
Under elementary agricultural establishments 
are cl.issed («) the Farm Schools, and (6) the 
Practical Agricultural Schools. 
Of Farm Schools there are fourteen at present, 
thou;.':! at one time there were about five times 
this number. The decrease is attributable, firstly, to 
the increase of "practical schools," and secondly, 
to the growth of private establishments taking 
paid apprentices. Bat though their present im- 
portance is comparatively small, it would appear 
that these Farm Schools still supply a distinct 
want. These institutions can scarcely be called 
schools. The farm is a private speculation. The 
Government pays the salaries of the staff of 
teachers, 7^d. per day towards the upkeep of each 
apprentice, and gives usually a bonus of £12 on 
leaving to those who gain their diploma, and £8 
to those who do not. The teaching is gratuitous, 
the apprentices are boarders, and the course varies 
from 2 to 3 years. The age of admission varies 
from 14 to 16, and the average number of appren- 
tices is about 20. 
The staff usually consists of a Director, ft 
teacher, superintendent (who is also accountant), 
a gardener, nurseryman, overseer of practical 
work and Veterinary Surgeon and drill master ; 
besides special instructors for any special local 
cultivation. The teaching is mainly practical, 
ami the Director makes use of the services of the 
apprentices as he deems advisable. 
The theoretical studies, which occupy about one- 
third of the time, are of a very elementary character. 
They include the revision of subjf^cts taught in the 
elementary school^, horticnlture, arboriculture, and 
general notions respecting surveying and ievelli'ig, 
agriculture in ,its widest sense, " first aid " to sick 
animals, and book-keeping. 
Admission is obtained by ciiLUiination in pri- 
mary subjects, but those holding the primary edu- 
cation certificate are exempted from examinati ; 
The objection that has been brought against 
these schools is that the Directors (who are the 
owners or lessees of the farm) are often apt to look 
upon the apprentices somewhat in the light of 
labourers placed at their disposal by the State, and 
to make them work merely with a view to their 
own ends, the question of teaching taking only a 
secondary place. A shepherd's school on the 
same principle exists at Rambouillet. 
The practical agricultural schools may be said 
to fill a gap between the national school.^, intended 
to give a secondary practical and theoretical edu- 
cation to the sons of larger landed proprietors, and 
the farm schools intended to give almost etitirely 
practical teaching to the sons of labourers, They 
were established with a view to catering to the 
important peasant proprietors and small farmer 
classes. 
These schools may be defined as farms of the 
better class, carried on with a view to profit, 
taking paying pupils who are taught the theory 
and practice of the special types of agriculture in 
the district of each gchool. The plan would 
appear to be successful for the number of those 
institutions existing, viz., over 40. 
