ON AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2927, 18 April 1891, Page 4

ON AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Tim great interest that is now being taken in agricultural education, in Kngland and how to most usefully spend the large sum of money which is this year to be given by Government to the County Councils for the encouragement and support of technical education, is well shown by the numerous letters and pamphlets on the subjects which are now being published by the leadiri" authorities 011 agricultural subjects. Processor M'Connell, Mr Martin .1. Sutton, and Professor Freain have all expounded their ideas on the subject , and now Mr Gilbert Murray, the veteran land agent from the midland counties of England, has published a pamphlet sketching out his idea as to how this large sum of money can be most usefully expended so as to confer the greatest possible benefit on the greatest possible number. "With most of Mr Murray's suggestions the great majority of readers will cordially agree; but there are also several points raised respecting which there is room for seme diversity of

opinion. At the outset of his pamphlet, Mr Murray makes rather a large claim for advanced agricultural ftnowledge. ' A knowledge,' he says, of the composition and properties, of artificial manures and feeding stufl's, when and how to apply them, would save millions, a year to the agricultural interests of Great Britain.' It may, however, be safely doubted whether agricultural science has sucli a teeming cornucopia for its votaries. As to manures, most farmers learn readily enough from experience how the different kinds of standard manures suit their own soils ; and as to their quality and character, they can easily protect themselves by joining an analytical association, ill which case they will have all their analyses done at a very cheap rate, or they can send their samples to the chemists of either the Royal or the Highland Society, or of the Dairy Farmers and other Associations. With repecttofeeding stuffs, science has not discovered any better concentrated feeding stuff than linseed or cotton cake, or a mixture of both, and there are few now who incur loss through giving the animal? more of this than they can assimilate. The practice that has proved most successful, in any districts is, in almost every case, the practice that is best suited to that district, and agricultural education comes in to explain and elucidate the principles 011 which that practice is based. It.

may be safely doubted, therefore, whether agricultural education will put 'millions a year' into the pockels of British farmers but it will certainly enable both farmers and labourers to take a more intelligent interest in their work, when they understand the scicritific principles which underlie their practice. • Mr Murray, like Mr Sutton, is very strong in favour of having at least the first prinoiples of agricultural education taught at the elementary rural schools, and every one of these schools to be equipped with models and diagrams representions the different breeds of farm

stock, the different plants and grasses cultivated on the farm, «fec. As to the training of the teachers, however, he ignores one important fact to which Mr Sutton gave due prominence. Mr Sutton stated the incontrovertible fact that any intelligent rural schoolmaster could, by the careful study of a few good text books, make himself sufficiently acquainted with the lirst principles of agricultural science, to be well able to teach these Jirst principles to the scholars at their schools. Mr Murray however, ignores this fact, and he cannot see how one man can communicate his knowledge to another through the medium of books, though he himself is doing the same thing by means of a pamphlet. The teachers, he say, must first be sent to attend lectures, and he knows of no better plan than

that started by Professor Wallace o taking fifty rural schoolmasters up to the University every year, giving them sjtne lecturcs on agriculture and sending them forth as teacher: ot' agricultural science. JJtit this training is radically defective, for agricultural science includes not only agricultural chemistry, agricultural botany, geology, vetcruary science, &c. ; and if, as Professor Wallace himself said the other day, 7'2 per cent, of the rural schoolmasters of Scotland are bred and reared in the country, it is perfectly evident that what these men want is not some smattering of knowledge respecting agricultural and rural economy, but a knowledge of these sciences which constitute the essentials of agricultural eduction. Mr Murray is also in favour of having an Agricultural College for every county, with a Professor of Agriculture at the head of it. Here, however, the same radical defect appears, for an Agricultural College to be of any real use must have not only a teacher of agricultural and rural economy, but an ellicient course of agricultural chemistry, agricultural botany, geology, and veterinary science that that would entail a much heavier ex ponditure than would be warranted by the results. Besides, as Professor M/Connell has well pointed out, our present ["mversitins and Colleges are amply sullicient for nil (he work that, ean be thrown upon them, and have ample aceommoda tion for four times the students that already attend them. Thero is undoubtedly good reason to hope that a wide diffusion of agricultural science will result from the large expenditure of the public funds, which is to be made in this direction. All are agreed that the first principles of agricultural science uhoukl bo taught in rural schools and as agricultural science is now nne of the subjects from which a grant can b« got, both teachers and ( .ncliolars will doubtless take it up

vigour, and with mutual profit. Oiio plan of wisely spending pact of thu money would undoubtedly he to give exhibitionsor .scholarship, for (>n;thling the best and most promising to continue their studies at any of the higher colleges after they have paused from the ranks at the rural schools. That also is a point respecting which there seems to be a general agreement.