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In secondary and technical high-school courses the study of elementary agriculture may be commenced, but even here it is advisable to confine attention largely to the scientific basis of agriculture and to such studies of plant and animal life and of soil and atmospheric conditions as will enable the youth later on to profit fully by a course of practical direct instruction in farming. Denmark has what may be described as the most fully developed system of agricultural training in the world. Its results certainly are remarkable, for in probably no country in the world is the worker in agriculture so highly trained or has such a high standing as in Denmark. Yet we find it laid down as an important and fundamental policy that no direct instruction in agriculture shall be given before the age of fifteen years. The education of the young people up to that time is almost entirely of a general character, though it is not of such a distinctly academic type as is found in the ordinary British secondary Great attention is given to physical training and to the general subjects of study. For two or three years after the boy has completed his general education he must go to work on a farm, so as to come into direct contact with every common form of farm or agricultural work and be able to understand the problems and difficulties that arise in its pursuit. Then, at about the age of eighteen or nineteen, he goes to the agricultural school proper and receives a thorough training in agriculture. The aims of these folk high schools or agricultural schools are set out by the authorities as — (a) To make a broad-minded, moral citizenship ; (6) to foster a deep-seated love of the soil and native land ; (c) to give a correct outlook on agricultural life ; (d) to free the people from class domination and show them how best to utilize their growing political power; (c) to lay a broad cultural foundation for the technical subjects to be pursued in the local agricultural schools ; (/) to prepare the young people to face intelligently the great struggle for existence that presses hard on all alike in the European countries. Under this system about 47 per cent, of the pupils who leave the primary schools take up agricultural pursuits. It should be noted that even in the folk high schools, where the training of the farmer is given, a considerable proportion of time is devoted to the study of the Danish language and history, as well as to geography and gymnastics. Yet the Danish authorities attribute to the folk high schools more than to anything else the fact that Danish agriculture is organized on a system more thorough and scientific than can be found in any other European country. In New Zealand it would seem, therefore, that if boys pass through a junior-high-school course from the age of twelve to fifteen or sixteen years, and receive a general education with due regard to nature-study and science in relation to agriculture, as well as to general forms of handwork, they could then most profitably proceed to work either on a farm or at a farm-school such as the Government farm at Buakura or Weraroa, and then, after two years or so of practical experience, take up the more thorough study of agriculture. It should be noted that in Denmark boys are apprenticed to farmers after they leave school, just as they would be in connection with any other occupation. HOME SCIENCE. In order to co-ordinate and improve the instruction in home science in the primary, secondary, and technical schools, Miss M. Dyer, M.A., was selected for appointment as Inspector of Home Science for New Zealand. This lady has wide and very thorough qualifications, both theoretical and practical, for this most important duty. She is at present engaged on a survey of the work now being done, and will shortly be able to present a report and suggestions on the system generally. GRADING AND APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS. Early this year the Senior Inspectors of the nine education districts exchanged centres for three months. During that period they made investigations regarding the uniformity or otherwise of the standard of grading of primary-school teachers. They visited and inspected a largefnumber of schools, observed teachers of various grades in their work, comparing them with teachers of a similar type in their own