AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

In England and Wales tLe system of agricultural education, though not approaching in completeness the piopo&ed Scottish scheme, affoids numerous opportunities to the farming community for obuiming scientific and technical instruction well adapted to modern requirements. The report of the Departmental Committee in 1888 that "there is clear proof of great loss to the country through a want of widespread knowledge of the most effective modes of dairy practice and of certain other agricultural operations " was quickly followed by legislation. In the same year Parliament voted £5000 for grants " to agricultural and dairy schools and assistance in agricultural experiments, and in 1890 the passing of the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act enabled county councils to devote large sums of nionry for technical education, the effect

being that in recent years £80.00 Cto £90,000 annually has been expended by local ruitboutus, in aid of agncultural education. The Bodid of Agiuultme, under the new conditions ci sated by this legis- i lation. took tlie view that all the cott of instruction of a purely local character might fit'v f<ill upon tlie local authonties, and decided to concentrate its limited funds UjKHinioie central instUut ons -dosing farnu'is. and training tei.-heis and lee- , tiirers. Last year the giants in aid of these objects amounted to £11,550 — a veiy small sum, bat one winch iepre*ented the , limit ot the resources of the boaid. Nine- j teen institutions receive grants from the Boaid. nins being collegiate centres, and all. with tho exception ot the Brit-f'.i ' Dairy Institute, recehe suppoit fiom the counties or county with which they act. Several ha\e benefited by donations or legacies irom wealthy sympathiser. Dcgroes, diplomas, and certificates, as the case may be. arc granted to tuocepsful students who have taken prescribed couiscs of study, and most of the institutions also proiide short courses of instruction suited more especially for j oung men, farmers' sons, ' and others wl>o "intend to become niactic.il farmers, but who do not wish, or are unable, to take a full course, the short cotirses varying in duiation from five or six weeks to six months and o-\er. Special instruction is given in dairying, horticulture, poult n -keeping, forestry, and other subjects. A great deal of work is done by mc.ins of lectuies in convenient centres, ti a veiling dairy and farrieiy schools, and demonstrative plots, and similar work is done directly by county councils. The fees at the colleges ard farm schools range fiom £5 per term upwards to £100 to £150 a year for the Cambridge University B.A. couise (of three yeais' residence). T,he fees for the short oomses are generally £3 to £5. At the semi-public agiicul- i tural colleges at Cirencester and Aspatria ! the institution is of a somewhat different scope, the former institution, especially. . being moie suited for piospecthe owners or managers of large estates, and partaking less of the practical character of the col- i leges which act with the county councils. In addition to the before-mentioned institutions there are many local institutions of an analogous character, which are maintained by individual counties for instruction in agricultuie, dairying, etc., and most of the counties also give courses of lectuies and instruction in agricultuie, dairying, poultry-keeping. bee-keeping, farm hygiene, farriery, manual processes, and horticulture. The instruction in daily- < ing may be given at a fixed dairy school, or by means of a migratory dairy school, which \ isits a number of different ceiltres each season. A similar system is fol- ] lowed with faniery. A number of counties carry out field experiments or demonstiations, and many have school gardens attached to day or evening schools. In the same way many have fruit-growing sta- ! tions, demonstration gardens, or trial allotments. It is not pretended that the j demand ior agricultural education in Eng- ! land and Wales is fully supplied, but this ' brief outline will show that a very great deal has been done in the 20 years to ] make suitable instruction available to those who desire it. There are many i points on which New Zealand might well' take a leaf out of the English book. I