174. 
speak of more particularly, and that relates to our students. On the 30th 
June we hadan examination of candidates. ‘At that examination twenty-four 
pupils passed satisfactorily. These yousee before you now. These young 
men come from very widely separated districts of the colony, and if may 
interest you to know something of their aspirations—what they are driving at 
I have had occasion just now to look over the papers which they signed on 
entering the College. Of the twenty-four students, exactly twenty write 
themselves as expecting to be farmers: ‘Two state their intentions to be 
graziers. One is uncertain, while another gives a mercantile profession as his’ 
aspiration in respect to business. The boys come here, you ‘will see, meaning” 
business. They come here not merely to escape farming. I have: seen 
agricultural colleges which were crowded with students who came | to 
escape farming. This makes all the difference between success and failure 
in our work. It is very gratifying to us teachers, this last fact. These are, 
you will observe, young men well advanced in life. The average age of 
_ students is eighteen years, which is two years beyond the minimum stated for 
admission to this school. So we are not here as children to take up the little 
things, but to begin with earnest work and to go with earnest purpose into 
life. I know how great is your interest in the important subject of agricul- 
tural development in the colony; and I cannot help thinking, as I face these 
gentlemen to-day, of the great work done by a countryman of Your Excellency’s, 
Sir John Bennet Lawes, the man who has done more to elevate the occupation 
of a farmer than any other living man. I am proud and happy to say that his 
life and work is nowhere better appreciated than in America. The Govern- 
ment of the States has recently published large volumes of his experiments, 
all of which have exercised the most powerful influence upon agriculture there. 
I hope it wiil have the same influence here, for that influence is not easy to” 
estimate. I believe, in conclusion, Your Excellency and gentlemen, that 
among all the enterprises inaugurated in this jubilee year of Her Majesty, 
none will tell of greater good to the colony than this Agricultural College, — 
which is not merely for the development of farming, but to induce experi- 
mental work. We hope to bring forth new facts, new truths in agriculture. 
Half of our strength will lie with the trifles. On behalf of myself and the 
pupils I welcome you to the school. I hope your stay has been a pleasant one, 
and that you have been enabled to see something of our hopes and aspirations. 
(Applause.) 
Hon. A. J. Tirynne said: Your Excellency and Gentlemen,—After 
hearing the explanation given by Professor Shelton, it now remains for me to 
supplement, to a slight extent, the information he has given, rather to remove 
some misconceptions as to the outlay on these premises. I may inform you 
that the contract price for erecting the buildings amounted to £5,070, That 
included the principal’s residence, the dormitories, the dining-hall, and the 
necessary out-offices. It included also the residence which is now occupied by 
the farm overseer. In addition to that, the outside expenditure to 80th June, 
1897, upon all the work done and described by Professor Shelton, upon the 
purchase of all the machinery and stock which you saw, amounted to £3,854 6s. 
So that the total outlay was under £9,000. 
Mr. Krrr: That does not include the price paid for the land. i 
Hon. A. J. Tuynye: It does not include the price of the land, The 
Department.is charged with the price of the land at the rate which would have 
been charged for it had it been selected—something over £6,000. So thatthe 
total cost of this magnificent estate, which is now devoted to future genera~ 
tions in the great cause of agriculture, stands to this colony at a cost: of 
under £15,000. (Applause.) In asking you, Your Excellency, to come to-day 
to formally inaugurate the great work initiated on this occasion, I cannot do) 
so without saying how: pleased we all ought to be. that Queensland has 
awakened to the necessity, which all other civilised countries have recognised, 
of taking pains in the education of the people in agriculture. ; Queensland 
has, up to the present, been almost alone in the absence of any onganised oF 
