Their system is largely patterned after the one in use in
Belgium and hence dates back to about 1890.

Each of the eleven provinces of the Netherlands have an agricultural society. There is also in the Kingdom a central agricultural society or council composed of representatives elected by the provincial societies, which planshe the work and makes suggestions to its subordinate societies. It acts also as board of advisers of the minister of agriculture under whose direction the department of agriculture is placed. No important measure affecting agriculture is undertaken by the ministry without the advice and consent of

the council.

In each of the provinces there is also a State Professor of Agriculture whose duties are to deliver lectures on agriculture, to inspect and direct the state experiment stations of which there are five. He also inspects the winter agriculture courses and provides instruction for primary school teachers who desire to obtain agricultural cer

tificates.

culture.

There are two kinds of winter schools for agri-
One of these schools is local and permanent, while
The permanent schools send out itin-

the other is migratory.

erant teachers who give courses of instruction to farmers. They orgaize classes and hold meetings much in the same manner as in Belgium. At these schools single topics are taken up and discussed until the class gets a reasonably thoro ao

quaintance with the subject. The courses are numerous enough to take in every phase of agriculture.

The itinerant instructor makes practical use of the

experimental fields and gardens which the Government has established all over the country. The classes with their instructor visit these fields and gardens frequently and observe the results of the various experiments as they develop.

The movable schools have been found to be a very convincing way of conveying agricultural instruction to the rural population. It is one of the best ways, as they have

found, of giving the farmers opportunities to secure the best up-to-date methods in agriculture, and especially those farmers whose occupation and surroundings have limited their knowledge of farming to what has been practiced in their own community.

The local gardens and experimental fields give the itinerant instructor one of the best means to demonstrate in a most convincing way the truth of the many theories they present.

Great Britain

In Great Britain there are two distinct classes of institutions that carry on work in agricultural instruction not including the Board of Agriculture which is at the head of the whole system.

The first of these classes is composed of the agricultural colleges and schools acting as eenters for groups of counties confining their efforts to the development of education in their respective areas.

who are

The second class is made up of the County Councils

incontrol of technical education work in the several counties and have established under their direction secondary agricultural schools, demonstration farms, itinerant schools which visit various parts of the several counties and demonstrate to classes on agricultural subjects. These are the "Migratory Schools".Their methods of operation vary somewhat depending upon the conditions of the district in which they work. When these travelling schools were first introduced in 1890 the instruction was confined largely, to but one subject. However, However, this was later broadened so as to include instruction in bookkeeping, farriery, poultry, horticultural gardening and other branches of agriculture.

These movable

schools are now conducted in an efficient and systematic way which makes them very popular. The sessions at any one place are continued for at least ten or fifteen days. The courses which are mostly carefully planned lectures are accompanied by carefully planned demonstrations. The travelling schools are thoroly equipped with the best apparatus. The school has been planned very carefully not only with respect to its efficiency but with a view also as to its permanency and future development. The support of these schools has been amply provided for. The county, out of its revenues from the excise fund meets the largest part of the expense and at the same time each locality and individual benefitted is required to bear a proper share of the cost. This system was provided for in 1890 by the passage of an excise act by Parliament. Within the past year a newly established fund known as the "development fund" provides for grants to be used in the furtherance of technical instruction in hor