The farmer. Agricultural Education.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1920, 25 October 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

The farmer. Agricultural Education.

Tin; discusbion at the Farmers' Club upon the t'ubjccfc of experimental farms, naturally brings into consideration the general question of the npioad of technical agricultural instruction. We, no doubt, know more than our fatbein did. The last few decades have brought to light a great deal of fresh and valuable mfu>iiatioii lelating to the science and practice of agiiuuliurc. The general body of fanners, however, are much in need ofamoie thorough technical knowledge oi the very impoitani work to which they have devoted their capital and ouorgies. Unfortunately, the dissemination of agricultural education has in this country been to too great an extent left to individual or private eflorts. Wo would certainly be the last to depreciate the good that has been accomplished by ihesa ci torts ; but while we most icadily and heaitily acknowledge their great value 10 the country, we cannot ignoie the fact thai comething more is required. In this miUer of spreading agricultural education wo p'cf.ir behind neaily all our foreign and continental ueipjhbors. A report has lately bren picsented to Parliament showing what in done b> the State in various joiei^n couiitiie^ fo promote the interests and improve tl)3 practice of agriculture. We have perused the report closely, p.nd would be , ' 1 to see it widely eaculat°d in tiny country. It world b' 4 a hi fciiLject for the consideration of ri'-'ucultmal societies and clubs, nnd through there ciumnd-. its contents might be specially commended to ihe attention of the general im icing community. It is very desirable that the ii'teiests of faimfcis themselves in the aniead of a<"ieultural education should be aroused, omi ue icport lefi-ried to contain? matte* well calculated to do this, as well as to induce innrcrs to rive their hearty support to those who aie striving to bnng the subject under the favoiable attention of the legislating The lepoit deal"? with France, Geimany, Anstiia, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzeiland, and the United States of America, and in all these the Slate gives attention to the spread of agricultuial education. In France there is a separate Go\ eminent Department and Minister for and the duties embiace all mattexs i elating to the promotion and ' welfaie of a^xicuitme. The machinery for agricullmal education includes the National A'jronntnic Inyfcitute nt Paiis (which kas a btalf of twenty professois and twenty-four teacueioj.four national schools of agiiculture, and three cattle and sheap-biceding establishments, six practical schools ot agriculture, ?nd Woity-fyur f«irjii schools, besides special classeb in the normal prim-iiy schools of the Fiench Departments to which Piofcssors of Apiculture <tre appointed uy tho State. The total expenditure m connection with the liench Agiieultmal Department in 1883 was no less than about 1 1,020,000. Of this sura about C1,.j4;0,000 is met by the revenue of the Stale forcta. In riussia a Ministry or State was created a [ j ctuly s& ISJS. At present in Germany the Depailment of Agilcuitiue is conducted by a Minislei of State, assisted by an Under-Sec-lelfay G) Stale, and a staii of eight heads of DcpaUraenlc, and many other oilicials. The annur.l expenditure of ihe State funds in coni.tction with Ajucultural Schools, experiments, and othti woiks for the promotion of agiicultuie amounts to about ClS2,000; for pgiiuuHuipJ education, scientific research, etc , I 1G,2% ; for veierinaiy atfairs, -£35,392 ; for cattle and hoibe Lieeding, 130/J2l ; and for land impio\ements, £',)!, 180. At Berlin there is a High School ol Agiiculture which receives r. State gi-ant of CIU2O a year. Various agricultuial colleges get smaller grants, while in every piovinoe there is a least one State AgricultuKil Schools for boys,. These schools number sixteen, and at each about 100 boys cie in artendaucc. Then throughout the country theie aie numeious laboiatories which j cceive pupport from State and local agricultuial societies, and in which very impoitant agiicultural leseacchccj nre cairied out. In Aujtiia careful atrention is given by the State to the dissemination of agricultural inbtmction. There aie in all about 70 agricultuipl schools inaintaincd oi supported by the Slate. The students who psqs through these sthoolg aic di?tiibuted throughout the empire, and insliuot and aJvise tLc f aimers as to the Lest rneauo of incieasing tneu production and ImpiOvi'ig their breeds of live stock. Special attention i<, given to the improvement of hoi ?es and vtiy laigo breeding establishruenis aie ruaiutoinrd foi* this pmpoie. The expenditure- of the Austrian Agricultural, Mining, p.nd Forest Department last year was ivboiu 11)70,612 in Italy ,i, MinWiy o£ Agiicaltuie has juat been le oigpnited, and expends about i; 101,000 uyew. The inteie&ta of agriculture in D-u iiiuk no watched over by the 3linistt!X' of the Interior, th°, sum voted in JSb'j SI ior agricultuial purposes being l J'3O 000. Siir.ilpi" aiid,ugLments exist in Norway and Sweden, where liberal grants are niftdo to; aijxi'Ailturil woiV, and where, by Suite aid bnO r-iicourr.goment, much good has been done. Tho total annual State allowances uad Lubsidicrf iv Sweden for the agricultural dtpaitraent and its dependent industries mnouufi to about .C 258.640. The | Ministei of the In tci ior in Belgium likewise looks aicei the iiiteiests of agriculture, the national expenditme for agricultural objects j in 1883 'laving been 1 18,877. In the Netherlands and Switzerland the State give 3 confairlerable encouiagementi to agriculture and allied inte\eriu; waile in the United States of AmeiJca, as h well known, the promotion of agiiculture receiv & veiy special care from the Government. The Agricultural Department of the United States dates from 1839, when 1,000 doliaid wee eel apart for the " purpose of collecting and distributing seeds, procuring agricultuial inveotigatioua, and procuring agricultural statistics." The total annual expenditure in the Department now exceeds £7-3,000. — Luc Stock Journal.