Agricultural Education.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 19, 20 December 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

Agricultural Education.

Tub discussion at the Farmers' Club upon the subject of experimental farms, naturally brings into consideration the general question of tho pproad of technical ogricaltural -instruction. We, no doubt, know more than our fathers did. -The last few decades have brought to light a great dosl oE fresh and valuable information relating to the science j and practice of agriculture. Tbs general body of farmers, however, are much m need of a more thorough technical knowledge of the very important work to which they have devoted their capital and energies. Onfor- ~ tunately, the dissemination of agricultural education has m this .country been to too great an extent left to individual or private efforts. We would certainly ho the last to depreciate the good that has been accomplished by theso -efforts; but while wo most readily and heartily acknowledge? thoir {.;reat .: value lioi the country, we cannot ignore the fact that something mere is required. r : In /this matter of spreading agricultural ; education we , are fsr behind nearly all our foreign Rh3 continental neighbors. A report has lately been presented to Parliament show- ? ingi what -is done •by the 'State- iii various foreign .countries to promote the interests n' l -1 improve the practice of agriculture. We kio perused the report closely, and would be glad 'to BC-e it widely circulated m thia country. It would be a fit subject for the consideration of agricultural societies an<i clubs, and through these channels its contents might be specially commended to the attention of tha general farming community. It is very desirable that the interests of farmers themselves m the spread of. agricultural education should be aroused, and the report referred to contains matter woll calculated to do thin, as well as to induce formers to give their hearty support to those who are striving to bring the subject under the favorable attention of the legislature. The report deals with France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States of America, and i in all these /the State, gives attention to the spread of agricultural education. In France there is a separate Government Department and Minister for Agriculture, and tho duties embrace all matters relating to the .promotion and welfare of agriculture. The machinery for agricultural edtfeation includes the National "Agronomio Institute at Paris (which kas a {staff of twenty professors and twenty-four . teachers), four national schools of agriculture, and three cattle, and sheep-breeding establishments, six practical schools of agriculture, and twenty-four farm schools, besides special m tho normal primary schools of (he French Departments to which Professors of Agriculture are appointed by the State. The total expenditure m connection with the French Agricultural Department m 1883 was "no less than about £1,920,000. Of this sum about £1,540,000 is met by the revenue of the State forests. i In Prussia a Ministry of State was created •as early as 1848. At present m Germany the Department of Agriculture is conducted by ia ! Minister of State, assisted by an Under-Sec-retary of State, and a staff of eight heads of Departments, and many other officials. The annual expenditure of the State funds m connection with Agricultural Schools, experiments, and, other works for the promotion of ! agriculture ' amounts to about £482,000 ; for agricultural education, scientific research, <&c, £46,295 ; for vet&rinar'v "affaire, £35,392 ; for 'cartfcl6 and horse breeding, £30,921 ; and for land : 'improvement3, £94,480. At Berlin there is a Higbr School of Agriculture which receives : fc; State grant of £4320 a year. "• Various agri- . cultural collogcs get smaller grants, while m every province there is a least one State Agricultural Sohoola. for boys. These schools number sixteen, and at each about 100 boys are m attendance. Then throughout the country there are numerous laboratories which receive support from State and local agricul- . -tnrfti pnpjfitipq. and m .w_h?oh. very, important agricultural researches are carried out. In Austria careful attention is given by the State to the' dissemination of agricultural m Btruction. There are m all about 70 agricultural schools maintained or supported by the State. The students who pasa "through these schools are distributed throughout the empire, and instruct and advise the farmers as to the • best means of increasing their production and improving their breeds of live stock. Special attention is given to the improvement of horses, and very large breeding establishments are maintained for this purpose. The expenditure cf the Austrian Agricultural, Mining, and Forest Department last year was about £976,612. In Italy a Ministry of Agriculture has just been re-organised, and expends about £404,600 a year. The interests Of agriculture in< Denmark are watched over by the Minister of the Interior, the sum voted m 1883-84 for agricultural purposes being £30,000. Similar arrangements exist iv Norway and Sweden, where liberal grants &re made for agricultural work, and where, by J .State aid and encouragement, much good has been done. The total annual State allowances and subsidies m Sweden for the agricultural department and ita dependent industries amounts to about £258,640. The Minister of the Interior m Belgium likewise looks after the interests of agriculture, the national expenditure for agricultural objects m 1883 having been £48,877. In the Netherlands and Switzerland the State give 3 considerable encouragement to agriculture and allied interests; wbile m the United States of America, as is i well knovra, the promotion of agriculture receives very special care from the Government. The Agricultural Department of the United States dates from 1839; when 1,000 dollars were set apart for the ••purpose of collecting and distributing seeds, procuring agricultural investigations, and procuring agricultural statistics." The total ' annual expenditure m the .Department now ' exceeds £73,000.— Live Stuck Journal.