September i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
2og 
THE COLONIAL COLLEGE AND TRAINING 
FARMS. 
[The institutions referred to in the following 
report are so important and calculated to be so 
useful, that we feel bound to lay the details before 
our readers. Young men passing successfully 
through the College and Training Farm, will bo 
well equipped for the battle of life in the Colonies, 
which they cannot help benefiting while benefiting 
themselves. — Ed.T. A.~[ 
Lord Knutsford, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 
distributed the prizes at the college, Hollesley Bay, 
Suffolk, on Wednesday. A large company was present, 
among the most prominent being Sir Graham Berry, 
Sir F. Napier Broome, Sir Eawson Kswson, Sir 
Arthur Hodgson, Sir Augustus Adderley, Sir Frederick 
Young, Mr. Braddon ^Agent-General for Tasmania), 
the Hon. A J. Clarke, Lord John Hervey, lion. 
Lionel Holland, Mr. Landale, Mr. W. N. Waller, Mr. 
Abraham Scott, Major Oraigie, Mr. C. S Read, Gener.al 
Montagu, General Lowry, Major Barnardiston, Major 
Howey, Major Windham, Captain Stirling, Captain 
Hope, Captain Bougliey Burgess, Mr. Hunter Rodwell, 
Q.C., Mr. Tylston Hodgson, Mr. T. Holmes, Mr. Frank 
Garrett, Mr. F. Dutton, Mr. F. M. Dutton, Mr. Percy 
Borrett, Mr. Dunoan Thomson, Mr. E. K. Blyth, Mr. 
Charles Burrell, Mr. Stancomb Dunn, Mr. Seth-Smith, 
Mr. Anley, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Francis B. Baker, 
Mr. R. Butler, Mr. H J. W. Jervis, Rev. R. Law- 
ranoe, Rev. J. A. Clowes, Rev. A. 8. Morse, Rev. 
J. F. Hervey, Dr. Eager, Mr. J. R. Wood, Mr.O'Hallo- 
ran (Secretary to Royal Colonial Institute), Mr. C. R. 
Steward, Mr. G. H. Garrett, Mr. David Johnson, 
Captain Moor, Mr. John Sherwood, and Mr. Robert 
Bond. Letters were read from the following gentle- 
men who had accepted invitations, expressing regret 
at being prevented from attending : — The Marquis of 
Bristol, Sir Oharles Nicholson, Sir Saul Samuel, Sir 
Charles Mills, Sir Frederick Weld, SirF. Dillon Bell, 
and Sir G. Baden-Powell. 
The college is situated on Hollesley Bay, about two 
and a half hours distant from London. The estate 
contains about 1,330 acres of pasture, arable, heath, 
and woods, the college in addition hiring and farm- 
ing 500 acres of fine arable and pasture land adjoin- 
ing. On the estate there are 1,600 sheep, mostly of 
the pure Suffolk breed, 100 bullocks, 50 cows, and 
CO horses. The institution, which was established in 
January, 1887, is intended to provide the intending 
colonist with suitable training, with advice as to his 
future career, and so far as possible with an introduc- 
tion to it. A course of instruction is provided in field 
cultivation, the making and repair of agricultural 
implements, gardening, bee culture, forestry, tree plant- 
ing, the care of horses, bullocks, sheep, swine, and 
poultry, verterinary practice, riding, land surveying 
and levelling, engineers’ and smiths' work, carpentry, 
and ambulance work. At present there are about 70 
pupils under instruction. 
After luncheon in the dining hall the company pro- 
ceeded to make an inspection of the college, gardens, 
and workshops. At the distribution of prizes which 
afterwards took place, Lord Knutsford took the chair. 
Mr. Johnson (the resident director of the college) 
said that the class work of the college was of a 
practical character. It was important for young men 
intended for colonial life to know the reasons why a 
thing was done and how to tio it, and it was a great 
gain to approach one’s work with an enlighttned 
mind instead of approaching it in the dark. Tho 
object of the system followed at the college was to 
turn out good all-round men who should not only 
be a credit to the college, but whom the college would 
be glad to recommend afterwards. Their object was 
to familiarize the pupils with all the circumstances 
of rural life, whether at home or iu the colonies. 
The following prizes were then presented by the 
chairman : — General farm work, L. H. Parker ; plough- 
ing, H. A. Wells ; dairy work, H. A. Wells ; veteri- 
nary work, R. B. Baron and M. Deans ; surveying, G. 
Uouywood; levelling, T, Rutherfurd; carpentry, A. E. 
Fichardt ; smith’s work, G. Honywood ; smith’s work 
27 
and carpentry (combined), G. Honywood ; best collec- 
tion of grasses, T. Rutherfurd j gardening, E. N. 
Howard. 
Lord Knutsi'Obo, in addressing the students, said th-'.t 
it had given him great pleasure to be able to come 
to the college that day and to exchange the rath _t 
heavy, and perhaps official, air of the Oolo. ial Office 
for the breezy and much fresher air of the Colonial 
College. He was very glad to be present, not only 
to show his own personal interest as Colonial Se- 
cretary, but to assure them of the interest which her 
Majesty’s Government felt in the institution and in 
the increasingly good work of this kind. (Cheers.) 
It had been very pleasant to him to present the prizes 
to those who had earned them by hard work. At 
the same time that pleasure was somewhat d min- 
islied by the fact of being called upon to say a few 
words of advice. It had been said that the giving 
of advice was a privilege which was very often 
exercised by one to say foolish things under the pre- 
tence of preventing other people from doing foolish 
things. But he appeared before them without that 
pretence, because he believed that, in going to cast 
in their lot with the colonies, the students were (icing 
a remarkably wise thing They were aware that there 
was no royal road to success ; but there was a royal 
road against defeat, and that was by perseverance and 
good work. (Cheers.) He had seen a warning given 
by some one to emigrants who were going out to 
other countries witliout any practical knowledge, 
without previous training, without studying the climate, 
the local habits, and the customs of the colonies, and tho 
warning was couched in these words; — “If you are 
going out unprepared to fight a wilderness— a mighty, 
tongueless, obdurate, mysterious adversary— he will givo 
you opulence if you conquer him, but a grave if he con- 
quers yon.’’ It was a pleasure to him to know that 
such a warning would he absolutely lost in the case of 
the students of this college, because they were receiv- 
ing that practical knowlege with which they would be 
able to meet the adversary, to secure a victory and not 
a grave, a competence and happiness if not opulence. 
(Cheers.; That was the great advantage of the work 
performed at this institution. In the time of .James I, 
a learned maiden was brought before the King and 
pointed out to him as a rarity because she could speak 
Hebrew and Greek. The King immediately turned 
round and asked, “Can she spin?” (L-.ughter) — in 
other words, he did not depreciate the Hebrew and tho 
Greek but he wanted to know whether she was fitted 
for the work she had to do in life. (Cheers.) The 
students of this college gained practical knowledge by 
a variety of instruction, this instruction including a 
knowledge of ambulance work. That might posribly be, 
next to the shoeing of horses, the most useful work they 
would have to do, because many of them would be sta- 
tioned in the colonies far away from medical assis'ance, 
and therefore they would be enabled by this instruction 
notonly to help themselves, butothers as well. (Cheers.) 
It bad been hinted to him that he should give the stu- 
dents some advice about the colonies. Frankly, he could 
not assist them in that respect. The only two colonies he 
had seen were Mirlta and Heligoland (laughter), and 
therefore bis knowledge was likely to be still further 
reduced, because they were just parting with the last- 
named possession.* He was afraid that he could only 
speak of the colonies as an old writer, Fuller, spoke 
of the shires of England — “Some of fhem,” he said, 
“ Joseph-like, have a better coloured coat tt an o*i rs • 
others, like Benjamin, have a niore beaulifiJ mess ■ ' 
meat.” (Laughter.) In otlier words, some of i he co- 
lonies are very good for agriculture and crops ; others 
are better for cattle and ranches. On a previau; 
occasion Lord Lome, in addressing the stiidems of 
that institution, advised (hem to take work in the 
colonies, but as a general rule to look around them 
before they began working on their own account. He 
* The time may come when practical knowledge 
of the colonies will be deemed as much a qualification 
for the office Lord Knutsford holds, as the practical 
knowledge imparted at this college is deesmed essential 
to the success of a colonial career. — Ed. T. A. 
