H.—29b

26

Generai, Observations. Apart from individual agricultural institutions visited in both the United States and Canada, and their activities, there arc a number of matters of particular interest, in both countries which can best, be considered when grouped together under one head. These arc as follows : — Agricullural Education in the United States and Canada. It has already been shown in this report what is being done in this direction by the Province of Manitoba in Canada, with a population of less than half a million, establishing a college to educate its rural population in regard to its primary industry — i.e., agriculture. The State of Oregon, in the United States, may be cited as another instance where, with a population of 672,765, agricultural education is kept in the front. The Agricultural College of Western Oregon is typical of the agricultural institutions of the United States. The Agricultural College located in Williamette Valley is in close touch with the movement of rural population, and it is claimed that recently Oregon has been getting an exceptionally large proportion of the most desirable citizens. The Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis is one of the most successful examples of what are known as "land-grant colleges." The regular registration of students at the end of 1912 was 1,142. The short courses brought a registration of 1,583, and the summer session 143, making a total of 2,868. The college is well organized and equipped, and its work is thorough and exceedingly practical. The courses include agriculture, pharmacy, forestry, domestic science and art, engineering, commerce, industrial pedagogy, or training of teachers for industrial work. The Dominion Government of Canada in 1913 appropriated £2,000,000 to be expended during a period of ten. years, at an average of £200,000 a year, on agricultural instruction. In Canada education is regarded as the prerogative of the provinces, and the money is handed over to them for expenditure through their Departments of Agriculture and Education. The basis of division was as follows : £4,000 a year was set aside for two veterinary colleges, one in Toronto for English-speaking students and one in Montreal for French-speaking students; £4,000 was given to each of the provinces irrespective of population, area, or natural production. The balance of each year's appropriation is divided according to population. The federal grants have furnished about £50,000 for buildings and equipment for agricultural instruction throughout the provinces; they have provided for 155 permanent instructors; they have made possible an extension of the lines of demonstration in every province; they have enabled 'several provinces to organize for instructing women on the farm ; and they have made great progress in initiating and extending the work of teaching agriculture in the public schools. It is intended to hold a general conference each year with representatives of the provinces in order that the work may be co-ordinated, and so avoid duplication between federal and provincial departments. There is also in contemplation a central publication office by means of which the people of Canada will be kept informed continually as to agricultural work in progress in all parts of,the country. In Ontario alone the appropriations for agricultural work carried on through the Departments of Agriculture and of Education for 1914 were (in round numbers) as follows : — Civil government, printing reports and bulletins, statTstics, and £ miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... 14,000 Agricultural College ... ... ... ... ... ... 80,000 Agricultural and Horticultural Societies Branch... ... ... 32,000 Live-stock Branch ... ... ... ... ... ... 11,000 Institutes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8,000 Dairy Branch ... ... ... ... ... ... 13,000 Fruit Branch ... ... ... ... ... ... 13,000 Colonisation and immigration ... ... ... 30,000 Ontario Veterinary College ... ... ... .. ... 42,000 District representatives ... ... ... ... ... 8,000 Demonstration farm ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,000 *Director of Elementary Agricultural Education ... ... ... 500 *Instruction in agriculture and? horticulture, and grants to schoolgardens in public and separate schools, and contingencies ... 900 instruction in industrial arts and household science, grants, and contingencies ... ... ... ... .. ... 400 Travelling-expenses of normal-school students to rural public schools and for nature-study ... ... ... ... ... 250 *School-gardens for normal schools ... ... ... ... 200 training in high schools by the district representatives 8,750 """Special industrial and agricultural education ... ... .. 1,000 Total ... ... ... ... ... £265,000 The amounts included a certain sum in capital expenditure on buildings, but, the greater part of this was represented in the erection of the Veterinary College.

* Granted by the Department of Education.