326  National  Agricultural  Examination  Board. 
an  abnormal  condition,  the  test  is  severe.  The  answers  given 
to  the  questions  in  cheese-making  were,  on  the  whole,  very 
satisfactory,  the  candidates  this  year  showing  a much  wider 
knowledge  of  dairying  generally  than  the  Examiner  has  found 
in  previous  years.  The  new  premises  at  Reading  lent  them- 
selves admirably  to  the  purposes  of  the  Examination.  Speaking 
particularly  of  the  candidates  at  the  Scottish  centre,  the 
Examiner  is  glad  to  be  able  to  report  a very  great  improvement 
on  the  results  of  last  year.  Many  of  the  male  candidates  did 
splendid  work  ; indeed,  the  Examiner  states  that  he  has  seldom 
met  such  a fine  body  of  men.  They  were  excellent  both  in 
practice  and  theory,  willing  workers  and  enthusiastic,  and  a 
credit  to  all  concerned  in  their  training. 
6.  The  Examiner  in  Chemistry  and  Bacteriology  at  the 
English  centre  (Dr.  J.  Augustus  Voelcker,  M.A.,  B.Sc.),  in  his 
report,  states  that  the  results  of  this  part  of  the  examination 
cannot  be  regarded  as  altogether  satisfactory.  The  number 
of  failures  was  considerable,  and  only  one  candidate  showed 
special  acquaintance  with  the  subject.  The  paper  work  was 
decidedly  inferior  to  that  of  the  oral  part  of  the  examination, 
but,  in  both  parts  alike,  while  there  was  a generally  fair 
acquaintance  with  points  in  which  Dairying  was  specially 
concerned,  there  was  distinct  failure  to  deal  adequately  with 
the  general  principles  of  chemical  science. 
7.  The  Examiner  in  Chemistry  and  Bacteriology  at  the 
Scottish  centre  (Dr.  T.  W.  Drinkwater,  F.R.S.E.,  F.I.C.),  reports 
that,  taken  as  a whole,  the  Chemistry  questions  were  fairly 
well  answered,  most  of  the  candidates  had  done  some  practical 
laboratory  work,  and  this  was  in  their  favour.  The  Bacteri- 
ology portion  was  not  so  satisfactory,  there  was  considerable 
evidence  of  “ cram  ” in  the  answers.  Very  few  of  the  candi- 
dates had  ever  made  a culture. 
JOHN  GILLESPIE, 
Chairman. 
16  Bedford  Square,  London,  W.C. 
November,  1909. 
