E.—ll

2

Three students passed the examinations at the end of the three-years course, and were awarded the College diploma. The examiner in practiaal agriculture reported as follows on the several operations on which he examined students at work, and also on the general written and oral examination which he conducted at the end of the year:— Working the Binder. —"l have pleasure in reporting on the examination held on the 27th January, 1904. The field chosen was a fairly heavy wheat-crop with some tangled and lodged places, which gave the students an opportunity of showing their skill. Five students were examined, and showed themselves quite able to make satisfactory work in the difficult crop they had to deal with." Ploughing. —" I have the honour to report on the examination on ploughing held by me today, the 23rd August, 1904. Four students competed, and the ground selected was a strong grassfield which gave a good opportunity of testing their capabilities with single- and double-furrow ploughs. Each student ploughed four lands, using a different team and plough for each, and readily adapted himself to the change of horses and implements. The work on the whole was done in a highly creditable manner, and the students showed a good practical knowledge of how to set or adjust their ploughs." Shearing. —" I have pleasure in reporting on the excellence of the work shown in the shearing examination on the Bth November. The shearing was well and smartly done, and all the students did equally creditably at the wool-table.' Oral and Written Examination in Practical Agriculture. —" I have during the year examined these students in various farm duties with highly satisfactory results, and have to-day (17th December) given them an exhaustive test in practical agriculture. I have pleasure in reporting that they have worked diligently and intelligently, and have acquired a sound and practical knowledge of farm-work.—Geobge Rennie." Public Lectures. Two courses of evening lectures to farmers were conducted at the College during the winter months on Friday evenings. The Director lectured on " Farm Crops," and the Veterinary Surgeon on " The Diseases of Cattle." The courses were well attended by farmers, and the lecture-rooms were crowded. Many came considerable distances to these lectures, and good discussions regularly followed their delivery. Short Winter Courses for Farmers' Sons. The Board of Governors proposed during the year to extend the work of the College by establishing short courses of instruction for farmers' sons engaged on the land and others, and it was arranged that four short courses should be conducted during the winter, when the operations on farms were slack and young farmers might be able to get away. It was proposed that these classes should extend throughout one month, and four lectures were to be delivered each day as follows: (a) Agriculture (farm crops), by the Director; (b) agricultural chemistry (soils, manures, and plant-nutrition), by George Gray, F.C.S. ; (c) veterinary science (diseases of the horse), by W. J. Colebatch, B.Sc. (Agric), M.R.C.V.S. ; (d) agricultural botany (grasses, study of seeds, and seeds of weeds), by F. W. Hilgendorf, M.A., B.Sc. The fees for the course of four weeks were fixed at two guineas for each subject and six guineas for the four courses. No course would be undertaken, however, unless twenty candidates enrolled for it. I am sorry, however, to have to report now that the scheme of the Board has been abortive, as only two or three applicants entered their names, and the courses could not be proceeded with for so small a number. The Farm. It has been endeavoured to make the College farm as instructive as possible by growing as many varieties of each different crop as practicable, and by varying the cultivation and manure applied, and noting the various results as carefully as could be done. Generally our effort has been to conduct the farm as a practical illustration of the lectures, and in accordance to the best of our knowledge with an enlightened combination of practice with science. lam glad to be able to report that the work done on the farm by students, and the interest taken in the different operations, has shown marked improvement on that of former years, and I believe that the College is now doing all-round useful work for the colony. The balance-sheet for tne year is sent forward herewith. I have, &c, William Lowrie, Director. The Right Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington.