H.—2l

7

applied to everything and is kept constantly before the youths. I consider that this is most important, as to my mind these colleges will do very little good unless they produce a class of men who will put their work to the practical test of its commercial value. Hawkesbury College is, I understand, with one exception—namely, the one at Guelph, in Canada —the largest agricultural college in the world. By way of comparing these institutions it is interesting to learn the opinion of the Hon. G. E. Foster, Canadian Minister of Trade and Commerce, who recently visited Hawkesbury. That gentleman stated, " The Agricultural College [at Hawkesbury] struck me very favourably. The variety and thoroughness of the instruction given in a practical and experimental way seemed to me to be exactly what was required by the students to fit them for the actualities of the life they will lead on the farm. The students are not only initiated into a theoretical knowledge of the conditions of soils and the atmosphere, as well as the aid and hindrances that insect and bird life bring, but they are thoroughly versed in what may be called the rougher forms of construction and repairs of everything connected with the farmer's new life on his location. They are taught to make and mend harness, and to build gates and fences, and, in short, are given an experimental knowledge in all the different varieties of work which fall to a farmer's lot, together with that independence and selfreliance which give him a great advantage in a sparsely-settled country, where he cannot find foundries and factories and carpenters ready to hand. The students are also taught methods of preserving fruits of all kinds, and the making of cheese and butter. They are not only shown how to do all these things, but the excellence of the instruction is chiefly to be found in the fact that they are made to do it themselves, thereby becoming practical and obtaining confidence in the carrying-out of the more theoretical side of the work." In answer to a question as to whether there were any agricultural colleges of this kind in Canada, Mr. Foster stated, " There are institutions in Canada which are more fully equipped, but taking all in all I doubt if there is any institution which attains the end aimed at —namely, to make the boy acquire the experience of all the actualities of a farmer's business—in the same way as the Hawkesbury College." At Guelph I understand there are about 205 students in residence; at Hawkesbury about 200. The latter embraces about 3,500 acres of land; the former about 500 acres. With regard to the cost of the Hawkesbury College, you will observe from the report of my last interview with Mr. Potts that it is somewhat difficult to estimate exactly what the cost of the College was. He stated that the original design was for a college to hold sixty students, and to cost £37,000. This, however, was not carried out, and the statement of accounts published in the ar.nual report does not show the capital value. The following is the statement of total receipts and expenditure for the year 1911—12 : — Receipts. £ s. d. I Expenditure. £ s . d. Students'fees.. .. .. 3,970 7 0 Salaries .. .. .. 3,902 6 6 Winter school fees .." .. 205 16 0 Incidentals .. .. .. 9,599 17 4 Exchanges .. .. .. 5 3 8 Public Works Fund .. .. 4,743 5 8 Cash sales .. .. .. 3,221 5 7 Farm Account .. .. 5,245 4 0 Kent .. .. .. 94 3 6 I Stores Supply Committee .. 1,677 12 9 Lighting .. .. . . 4 8 8 Resumed properties . . . . 61 9 0 Departmental farms .. .. 371 2 0 i Departmental farms (transfers) .. 347 4 8 Balance .. .. 17,737 9 11 j Consolidated revenue (refunds) .. 32 10 0 i —. £25,609 9 11 £25,609 9 11 Commenting on this statement Mr. Valder stated that the items of £4,743 ss. Bd. and £61 9s. charged against the " Public Works Fund " and " Resumed properties " respectively should be eliminated, leaving a debit balance of about £13,000, which may be taken as the actual cost of the College to the country for that year (1911-12). A very careful system of book-keeping has been adopted at the College, and some branches show a profit, but it is obvious that where two hundred men are accommodated at an average of £20 a year, including board and residence, there must be a deficit at the end of the year. There must also be a loss on the winter school, for the farmers pay only a very small amount for their accommodation. In order to show how profitable some of the branches are, I quote the following statement of accounts for the orchard for 1911—12 : — Dr. £ s. d. Cr, £ 8 . a. Brought forward from previous Cash sales .. .. .. 782 8 4 year (valuations) .. .. 385 810 Transfers to other Government Salaries, wages, and board .. 681 2 5 Departments . . .. 130 18 4 Supplies, &c. .. .. .. 322 16 7 College supplies and services .. 953 16 9 Water and light .. .. 25 0 0 Produce on hand .. .. 389 15 10 Horse labour .. .. .. 45 6 8 College supplies and services .. 36 1 4 Balance (profit) .. 821 3 5 £2,256 19 3 £2,256 19 3 You will observe that Mr. Potts stated that he considers a sum of at least £50,000 and an annual grant of £5,000 would be required to start a college in any way similar to Hawkes-