AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION, as at present understood, is a comprehensive term, including instruction in chemistry, geology, botany, zoology, mechanics—embracing, in short, the science as well as the practice of agriculture. However important the branch ing off of education into this special track, it is only of late years that adequate attention has been paid to it. The first agricultural school was founded by Fellenberg at Hofwyl, in Switzerland, in 1806. His pupils were taken from the poorest class of peasantry, of whom lie truly observed, that having " no other property than their physical and mental faculties, they should be taught how to use this capital to the best by a combination of "discipline, study, and manual labor." No fewer than 3000 pupils were trained in this school, which flourished for thirty years under the able direction of Welirli. Since then, various institutions of the same character have sprung up on the continent. In France, several have been supported by the state—the principal being the one at Grignon, to which an old royal palace with its domain of 1185 acres has been given up. One of the first duties undertaken by the new government of marshal MacMahon, in 1873, was the nomination of a commission to reorganize the system of agricultural education. In Prussia, there is scarcely a province that does not•boast its agricultural school and model farm; and, indeed, throughout Germany, as well as in Russia. we find educational institutions supported by the state, in all of which, with some slight difference of detail, agriculture is practically as well as theoretically taught. More recently, experimental stations have been established in various parts of the empire. Indeed the agricultural schools and field experimental stations in Germany are a credit to that country and a source of much attraction to visitors from other countries.
in America, increasing facilities are being provided for acquiring a thorough knowl edge of agriculture scientifically as well as practically. • Several of the British colonies have recently established boards of agriculture and agricultural schools. The govern ment of Ontario started an agricultural college and model or experimental farm at Guelph, in May, 1874. It has so far been very successful. An efficient staff of lecturers has been secured, and instructions are systematically given to first-year's students in agri culture, chemistry, zoology, anatomy, physiology and book-keeping; while second year's students are taught entomology, meteorology and cattle pathology, High-bred stock of various kinds imported from the mother-country are kept on the college farm.
In England, there are as yet no state institutions of this kind. In 1845, an agricul tural college was established, by private enterprise, at Cirencester, for the education of both resident and non-resident pupils, the course of instruction extending over two years. A large farm is attached to the school. A strong feeling was manifested throughout Britain between 1873 and 1877 in favor of more attention and encouragement being mtended to agricultural education, especially by the state. British agriculturists at length came to see that as farming had got to be a science in itself, their educational system was lamentably defective. In the practical training, the yeamt British farmer has long been and possibly still is ahead of his fellows in other countries; but it has recently become notorious that so far as an acquaintance with the various sciences that bear on agriculture is concerned, British agriculturists are considerably behind some of their neighbors—Germany, for example. Besides publishing twice a year a very instructive and useful Journal, the royal English agricultural society has since 1868 given handsome 'prizes as well as the certificate of the society to young men, at the close of an annual examination, who are supposed to have. finished their agricultural and scientific education. Those who obtain first-class certificates are enrolled as life members of the society. After conference with the head-masters of the middle-class schools of England, this society commenced in 1874 to offer ten annual scholarships of £20 each to scholars from the middle-class schools who pass the best examinations in land surveying, the mechanics of agriculture, the chemistry of agriculture, the principles of agriculture; the nutrition of animals and plants, etc. The successful candidates must study for the:year at an agricultural college, or with an approved practical agriculturist. This scheme works very successfully. Through the liberality of the duke of Bedford, the royal English agricultural society was enabled to establish an experimental farm on his grace's property at Woburn, Bedforshire, in 1876. On. this farm, experiments in the fattening of stock with various kinds of food, and in the growing of crops with different kinds of manures,are carried on.