1 Noy., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 467 
the primary schools. Books on agriculture were placed in the hands of the 
pupils; agricultural rules, even though sometimes debatable. were taught as 
axiomatic truths; the memory rather than the understanding was consulted ; 
and the learning of words rather than the observation of facts was made the basis 
of agricultural teaching. 
FLOATING EXPERIMENT FARMS—HOW RUSSIA. EDUCATES 
HER FARMERS. 
Many years ago, when all the farmers on the banks of the navigable rivers 
of Queensland grew quantities of sugar-cane without possessing the necessary 
capital to erect crushing machinery, some enterprising men built a floating mill, 
christened her the ‘* Walrus,’ and she used to steam up the rivers, stop near 
the bank at a cane farm, crush the cane, deliver the sugar, and proceed to the 
next place. It remained, however, for Russia to utilise her 60,000 miles of 
navigable rivers by building a fleet of floating farms. The Russian Government 
is keenly alive to the great importance of modern agriculture, and spends many 
millions a year in educating and assisting the farmers. Experts are sent to 
America and Europe to study the best agricultural systems; colleges and 
schools of agriculture and dairying are established, and professors are sent all 
over the country to induct the people into the best systems of scientific agriculture. 
Mr. Alexander Heener Ford gives an excellent sketch of Russian methods in 
the August Century of “ America’s Agricultural Regeneration of Russia.’ 
Amongst other interesting details, he says that great watercourses, which 
American dredges are constantly deepening, have made possible the following 
novel method of presenting object lessons to the tillers of the soil :— 
The Russian educators, in casting about for the best means of economically 
fulfilling their mission, decided to experiment with immense floating gardens 
hundreds of feet in length. These great barges, built wide enough to give a 
comfortable area for the laying out of a garden, are launched with the breaking 
up of the ice. As these floating agricultural experiment stations drift slowly 
down stream to warmer climes, the seeds sprout, and grain grows and eventu- 
ally ripens. On the deck of the great barge is an extensive building, the 
residence of the professors of agriculture who have the station in charge, and a 
smaller house for the crew. The size of these buildings, however, is dwarfed 
by the immensity of the barge. On its great, broad deck, besides the vegetable 
and grain beds, are various working models of beehives, for the Government is 
bending every energy to revive this industry, once famous in Russia, when 
honey-mead was the national drink. 
As the barge journeys with the current, it stops at every village. The 
church bell is rung, and the people gather from the fields to be led by the 
“‘starosta,” or mayor, to the floating farm. hey are invited aboard, where the 
various plants are explained to them, while illustrated lectures are sometimes 
given on the advantages of diversified farming. The questions of the peasants 
are intelligently answered, and seed is often left with the most enterprising for 
planting. So far the barge experimental farms have proved the most eflicient 
method of spreading the new knowledge of farming in Russia, for the country 
is one vast plain. ‘The great rivers flowing southward through the rich agricul- 
tural prairies take their rise in the dense forests of Central and Northern 
Russia. Here the great barges are built late in the fall, the spring freshets are 
made to save the expense of launching, and when fall comes again the wood of 
the barges can be sold in the treeless southern country, where wood is dear, and 
thus made to pay the expenses of the trip down stream. 
In America we little realise the extensive use Russia makes of her water- 
ways. In European Russia alone there are over 60,000 miles of navigable 
peatenw aye or almost three times the mileage of navigable rivers in the United 
tates. 
American farming methods are spreading everywhere throughout the 
empire. It is estimated that Russia will spend this year from 8,000,000 to 
10,000,000 dollars on American machinery. 
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