Abstract
THE annual report on the distribution of grants for agricultural education and research in 1907–8, lately issued, is a notable volume by reason of the excellent discussion of the whole subject by Prof. Middleton, one of the secretaries of the Board. The total amount expended for education was 12,100l., an increase of 550l. over the preceding year; the total number of students attending the various institutions was 1313, an increase of 92. The numbers are far from satisfactory in view of the fact that some 10,000 young men probably take up farming each year, whilst a certain proportion of the agricultural students do not go in for it at all, at any rate in England. Why does not the farmer take greater advantage of the opportunities for educating his sons? It is hardly a question of means, for agricultural education is very cheap and scholarships are liberally given; nor is it that the farmers do not know of the existence of the colleges. The real reason, probably, is that the farmer is not satisfied as to the value of agricultural education. Prof. Middleton has drawn up a table showing for different counties the number of men engaged in agriculture, and the percentage of the “whisky money” spent in agricultural education. It is a remarkable fact that the four counties which spend least, 10l. or less per 1000 male agriculturists, are purely agricultural, whilst, on the other hand, those with the smallest agricultural population expend about 150l. per 1000 male agriculturists. In spite of all that has been said and written on the subject, Prof. Middleton is driven to conclude that “if we except the organised work connected with the institutions, nothing approaching a system of agricultural instruction exists in England.”
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State Aid for Agricultural Education 1 . Nature 82, 193–194 (1909). https://doi.org/10.1038/082193a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/082193a0