Report of Committee on Agricultural Education. 69 
matter to otter the intelligent agriculturist — the large grower, 
at any rate. No doubt the small cultivator can be taught how 
to use manures and such like things by means merely of 
demonstrations, but we have arrived at a point where, at any 
rate, the larger growers, who are responsible for the main part 
of the agricultural produce of the country, are now fully 
acquainted with facts with regard to such subjects.” 
The Committee, after considering very carefully this 
question of research, decided that “ it would be unwise to 
develop any extensive system for providing instruction in 
agriculture in Great Britain without at the same time providing 
for research.” In 1887 the Paget Committee recommended 
that an annual grant-in-aid of 3,000/. should be placed at the 
disposal of the Government Agricultural Department to be 
expended in investigation. Even if the grants of 200/. paid 
by the Board of Agriculture in respect of the farms attached to 
collegiate centres be included, the total grant in aid of research 
has never reached the sum recommended twenty years ago. 
The statement on this subject made by the Assistant Secretary 
to the Board in the last annual report 1 has, therefore, been 
welcomed as an indication that this branch of the Department’s 
activities is to be extended in the future “I wish,” he said, 
“ to urge the importance of these special grants (for experi- 
ments and research) and to suggest that much larger sums 
should be expended by the Board in promoting research on 
agricultural problems. Apart from the economic value of such 
research, its effect on agricultural education would justify the 
expenditure.” 
Passing from original research to the less exacting but 
scarcely less important work of field experiments or demon- 
strations, the Report says : “ It was frequently stated by 
those giving evidence that farmers took more interest in 
experiments than in any other class of work undertaken by 
the colleges, and the Committee agree that the teacher has no 
better means of getting into close touch with the farmer than 
by laying out for his inspection a series of experimental plots 
designed to' elucidate some local question.” The Report 
emphasises the need for better organisation in connection with 
these minor experiments and suggests that the results of the 
more important experiments should be summarised at regular 
intervals, and published in the Journal of the Board of 
Agriculture. This suggestion has already been adopted by the 
Board. It continues, “ In view of the large sums spent upon 
experiments, and of the important influence which they ought 
to have upon agriculture, the Committee are of opinion that 
the Board of Agx*iculture should give very special attention to 
1 Cd. 3908; page vii. 
