E.—s.

42

is previous years, I have to thank the various head teachers and their assistants for the moral support they have afTorded'me in the matter of control, by taking a lively interest in the work of the classes. They are further to be thanked for varying their time-tables during the year to suit the convenience of the handwork classes. Teachers' Classes : A class in woodwork was carried on at Wanganui during the earlier part of the year, and three of the teachers sat for the City and Guilds of London Examination. Two of them passed the preliminary, and one obtained a first-class final certificate. A note on the classes in carbdoard-modelling may perhaps be added. The attendance at these is not so good as the general importance of the subject would warrant, and it is to be regretted that those teachers who have the best opportunity of employing it as an educational method take the least trouble to learn how this may best be done. Woodwork (Palmerston North and Morton) (Mr. Bannister). The work throughout the year has been an improvement on the last, though we still see room for further advancement, especially in drawing. The difficulties will be reduced in Palmerston North when the new workshop is available, as there will then be room for drawing-benches. Cookery (Misses Mollison and Grant). The usual classes have been held in Wanganui and Hawera, the College classes added to the Wanganui work, and new centres opened in Patea and Eltham. In each centre the interest has been well maintained, and the conduct of the pupils has been satisfactory. A new departure has been made this year —each centre being worked for twenty weeks only. This enables more work to be done, and, as far as the instructors are concerned, has proved quite satisfactory. The new rooms at Patea and Eltham give every satisfaction, the only drawback being the want of gas. To facilitate the work, the instructors recommend the purchase of two or three small kerosene-stoves for each centre. In conclusion, we should like to pay a tribute of thanks to the headmasters of the different schools, who, without exception, have met our"wishes in every possible way. in some cases at inconvience to themselves Cookery (Miss Fergus). Classes have been held in the following centres —Marton. Feilding. and Palmerston ; and in each centre the attendance has been satisfactory. Teachers' classes have been held in Feilding and Palmerston. In December an exhibition of work done during the year was held at the Technical School, Feilding, and among the exhibits was a display of cooking madejjby school classes. I would strongly recommend that gas-rings be supplied in Marton cookery room. (Mr. Cox). Evening classes have been conducted weekly in Fe lding, Marton, Eltham, Hawera, and Wanganui, and afternoon classes at Feilding and Wanganui (two.) Feilding : Both classes here were for junior book-keeping, the day being found unsuitable to those who would have taken accountancy. To remedy this, I propose to visit Feilding on Tuesday, instead of Monday as at present. The work of all students here was good. In the evening class a number of the original members found themselves unab'e, for various reasons, to continue, but a fair number were still attending at the close of the year. Included in the classes were severalfD.H.S. pupils taking the subject for Junior Civil Service. Marton : This class was for junior work, and on its formation the number enrolled was good. Several did not continue after the first time, however, and towards the end of the year the attendance was small, including several D.H.S. pupils intending to sit for Junior Civil Service. Those who continued for any length of time showed very satisfactory progress. Eltham : Classes were conducted here in shorthand and bookkeeping, and several were also taken for senior book-keeping. The attendances for the whole period were good, and the whole of the students satisfactory. It was noticeable that all who attended for shorthand and junior book-keeping were girls, so that there should be others who could take advantage of the classes. Hawera : In the first term three classes were taken here —viz., shorthand, junior bookkeeping, and advanced book-keeping, the latter consisting, however, of only three, of whom two did not continue to the end of the period. Owing to the only available time for shorthand (5 to 6) being insufficient and unsuitable, the subject was taken by another instructor on a different night. In the junior book-keeping the attendance was fairly good, and the work throughout the period was particularly satisfactory, some half-dozen of the students making the best progress of any for the year. Wanganui: The afternoon classes in junior commercial work were well attended through the whole period, and the students showed very good progress in their work. The evening class in junior bookkeeping was divided into two (Thursday and Friday), and the former was taken by Mr. Varney. The chief reason for this was the necessity of changing the original night to suit my travelling; but in any case the number of students was too large for a single class, and I think it probable that sufficient students will be forthcoming next year to make a second night advisable. The students took a keen interest in their work and got on well. The average roll-numbers at country classes have not been as high as might have been anticipated, but the first term commenced late, and next year (when the classes will also be better known) should make a better showing in this respect. The work of students has generally been very satisfactory, and practically all who finished the year signified their intention of continuing when the schools reopen. The following reports of experiments on potato-growing arc here inserted for the information of teachers taking up agriculture in their schools. Similar reports were received from six other schools in the Wanganui District.