E.—ls.

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of grants for new school-buildings, where the Boards are always in the position of applicants for money and the Department in that of the jealous critic of expenditure, might be settled much more easily than it is at present, if a certain measure of local contribution out of rates were required, and the Government subsidies thereon were determined by some more or less automatic rule. In any such cases it would be necessary to determine the question of the proper proportion that there should be between the contributions of the Government and of the local authority. It may be of interest, therefore, to note the proportion of general and local taxes devoted to education in certain cases in other parts of the world : — Out of Out of State Taxes. Local Taxes. Switzerland .. /Primary.. .. .. .. 40-0 60-0 1. Bund and .. J Secondary .. .. .. 61.5 38-5 Cantons .. 1 Technical .. .. •- 70-3 297 2. Communes .. I Higher .. .. .. .. 899 10-1 A'l branches .. .. .. 51-9 481 Chicago .. .. Elementary and secondary .. 3 9 96-1 United States .. .. Elementary and secondary (average! 18 8 81-2 England .. .. Elementary and higher elementary 53-7 463 Wales .. .. Elementary and higher elementary 56-6 434 Scotland .. .. Elementary, continuation, secondary 52-3 47-7 Ireland .. ' .. Elementary .. .. .. 92-1 7-9

VARIOUS TOPICS. Agricultural Education in America and Europe, and in New Zealand. In spite of the fact that the United States of America have made good provision for higher agricultural education, and have in existence forty-five agricultural colleges (including those colleges that have a department of agriculture), the total bulk of agricultural instruction of all kinds (elementary and advanced) actually being given is probably not greater in proportion to the population than it is in New Zealand. But there is such an awakening in the minds of all public leaders as to the importance of widespread and sound agricultural education, and such vigorous steps are being taken to promote it in most of the States, that before long we shall be left far behind unless we move rapidly too. In thirty States the teaching of agriculture is either compulsory or permitted in public schools ; ten of these States — Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wisconsin*—require the teaching of agriculture. Those marked with a star, together with Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Michigan, make agriculture an obligatory subject for teachers' certificates ; while eight other States — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Missouri, California, Kentucky, New York, and New Jersey—are training teachers and otherwise preparing for the introduction of the subject into both elementary schools and high schools. Already there are agricultural high schools in Alabama, California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin ; Georgia is just establishing eleven similar schools, and the Legislature has decided to give towards their maintenance all the agricultural inspection fees collected (about $6,000 a year). Each community in which such a school is situated must give 200 acres of land and the necessary equipment; the people are subscribing enthusiastically, and $800,000 in land and equipment has been offered for these schools. As the Massachusetts Commission on Industrial Education says in its report, "in Europe there is the universal recognition of the necessity of special education for every form of industrial life," including agricultural education. It has been stated again and again that the high position attained by Germany in the industrial world is due not to its special education, but to the high standard of its elementary, secondary, and higher institutions for general education. Nothing could, in my opinion, be more misleading ; to take one fact alone—the parts of Germany where the greatest general industrial progress has been made are not coterminous with those in which elementary and secondary education stands at its very highest level, but they are coincident with those in which for many years great attention has been given to industrial education—that is, to training for vocations. In some parts of Germany, Austro-Hungary, and France, in Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, agriculture, by reason of local