The large import in 1911 of about 29 000 head of Swedish cattle, which was principally slaughtered for export, was diminished in 1912 by 8000 head, so that the export surplus has risen considerably more than the actual export. All the live cattle, with the exception of some 800 to 900 head which were sent to Russia, went to Germany. The beef was exported to:

The import of foreign horses for the last three years was about the same, namely 14 to 15 thousand.

The decline in the egg export in 1912 is due to the cold winter and spring months of 1912. About 5 per cent of the export in 1912 went to countries other than Great Britain.

The agricultural products mentioned in this article represent between 4/5 and 5/6 of the entire export. In 1011 its value represented over £23 967 000, whilst other agricultural goods and goods not of agricultural origin were exported for about £5 500 000. The estimated value for 1912 for the above-mentioned articles shows a rise of about £1 600 000; for each of the two preceding years the rise was about the same. Higher average prices for the year have been paid for nearly all the products derived from Danish domestic animals.

337 Exportation of Agricultural Produce from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

MINSSEN, G. Alguns aspectos do Rio Grande rural em 1912. Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Boletim Technico da Secreteria de Estado dos Negocios das Obras Publicas, 1912, No. 5, pp. 193-211. Porto Alegre.

These are comparative statistics for 1910 and 1881 of the exportation of the principal agricultural products, a summary description of the various regions of the State, of the condition of the principal crops, of stock breeding, and of animal industries.

(*) The milreis is valued at 18 d (The average value of the milreis in 1909 was 17 3/4 d The Slatesman's Year-book for 1912, p. 680). Maté to the value of £ 915 110, tobacco. worth £1 609 785 and skins and hides for £ 2 418 107 were exported from Brazil in 1910. Ibid. p. 679). (Ed.).

338 The Organisation and Present Condition of Agricultural Instruction in Belgium.

VANDER VAEREN, JULIEN. L'organisation et la situation actuelle de l'enseignement agricole en Belgique. Revue des Questions scientifiques, Series III, Vol. 23, pp. 237-271,

Louvain, January 20, 1913.

After a short review of the historical development of Agricultural Instruction in Belgium, the writer describes its present organization. He first of all draws a distinction between two large divisions of agricultural schools; those for youths and boys and those for girls. In both, the grades of instruction are different: there are colleges for young men, and similar institutions for girls, agricultural secondary schools of higher and lower grade and also higher and lower elementary schools.

Belgium possesses two agricultural colleges, the Agricultural State Institute of Gembloux and the Agricultural Institute of the University of Louvain. In order to be admitted at either as a regular student, it is necessary to have completed the intermediate course of studies and, further, to have passed an examination in mathematics. The course of study is three years at both Institutes; after this comes a fourth optional year, during which the student can pursue his studies further in one of the following branches: 1) Agriculture and Instruction; 2) Agricultural Chemistry and Industry; 3) Forestry. On passing the examination at the close of the three years' course, the student receives the title of "ingénieur agricole ". The Gembloux Institute, which opened

EDUCATION
AND EXPERI-

MENTATION IN
AGRICULTURE

AND FORESTRY

in 1861 with 37 students, had 175 in the session 1911-12; while the Louvain Institute had 200 students in 1910-11, as against 15 in 1878 when it was opened.

As agricultural intermediate schools of higher grade, the writer mentions the free Agricultural Schools of Carlsbourg, La Louvière and Leuze, and the State School of Practical Agriculture at Huy. In these are educated agents for medium-sized farms, smaller agricultural industries, etc. The course in the two first lasts for three years, but is only two years in the Huy Institute. The students must have been through a higher grade elementary school or an intermediate lower grade school. The teaching staff is chiefly composed of "Ingénieurs agricoles". In 1910-11, the number of students was as follows: Carlsbourg 52; La Louviere 29; Leuze 97; Huy 29, in all therefore 207.

The 26 agricultural divisions, which are attached to free colleges, intermediate schools, etc., are agricultural intermediate schools of lower grade, as is understood by the writer. Their curriculum includes all agricultural subjects; these are mostly taught by "ingénieurs agricoles". The course in these schools is also a three years' ore. The students are liberally supplied with apparatus and materials, 30 to 50 per cent of the cost of these being defrayed by the State. The number of students in these schools rose from 275 in 1900 to 822 in 1911. The writer lays special stress upon the fact that in these schools, as in the previously mentioned Institutes, no instruction is given in practical agriculture, for the students, being mostly peasants' sons, acquire practical experience on their fathers' farms.

The writer considers the following as elementary agricultural schools of higher grade:

I. "Sections professionnelles agricoles primaires " (Professional agricultural Schools). 2. "Sections professionelles ambulantes" (Agricultural travelling schools). 3. Schools, sections and courses of instruction in agricultural machinery. 4. The Agricultural course of instruction in the State institutions and free institutions. Today there are 28 "sections professionelles agricoles primaires ", which might well be entitled agricultural winter schools: these are opened every week for 2 or 3 afternoors during 3 or 4 winter months, when the schools are independent, or for 2 to 3 1⁄2 hours on 3 to 5 evenings, if the school is attached to an elementary school.

The curricula of these schools must, as far as possible, be suited to the requirements of the district. The teachers are, in many cases "'ingénieurs agricoles ", but they are usually elementary teachers, who possess a certificate for agricultural instruction. In 1911-12 the number of students was 1062.

Travelling agricultural schools were first started in 1904; there are now ten of these in Belgium. Instruction is also given in these schools only during the winter months and generally by specialists, such as "'ingénieurs agricoles", veterinaries, experts in agricultural machinery, etc.

Hitherto they have been attended by 25 to 40 farmers of from 17 to 35 years of age.

Belgium has three schools of agricultural machinery, at Mons, Leuze and Namur. The course is held in the winter months and lasts one winter at Mons and Namur and two at Leuze. The instruction is both practical and theoretical. Most of the teachers are "ingénieurs agricoles".

In the winter 1911-12, 50 students attended at Mons, 81 at Leuze, and 25 at Namur, this being the first year of the existence of the school. In the Fleurus and Avelghem agricultural machinery departments, which are attached to other Institutes, 22 and 30 students respectively received instruction during the same winter.

In the provinces of Brabant and Liège there have been 4 travelling schools of agricultural machinery for a year; and during this first year they were attended by 22 or 23 students on an average.

In the provinces of Limburg, Namur and Luxemburg several courses of from 10 to 15 lectures with demonstrations were held on agricultural machinery; these were attended by 20 to 50 students each.

In 50 State schools and in the same number of free intermediate schools, one or two hours have been devoted weekly to agricultural science; these were attended by 2862 scholars during the school year.

The writer considers that the numerous lectures on different branches of agriculture constitute arrangements for lower grade elementary agricultural instruction. These are held in villages especially during the winter, by State agriculturists, "ingénieurs agricoles", agricultural teachers, etc.

The 116 agricultural libraries, and the free information supplied to the farmers by the experiment stations and State agriculturists are also mentioned.

Since 1911, special agricultural instruction for training country housekeeping teachers has been given in the fifth optional year at the Teachers' Colleges of Wavre-Notre-Dame and Héverlé. Belgium possesses 14 country house-keeping schools with a two-years' course; these were attended in the school year of 1911 by a total of 436 pupils. The 5 departments for country housekeeping, which were attached to other Institutes, had 99 pupils during the same year. Further, there are 13 travelling housekeeping schools, which give a 3 to 4 months' practico-theoretical course in different districts. So far, departments of instruction in country housekeeping are only attached to 10 elementary schools.

In addition, during the last 10 years numerous lectures have been given to the female agricultural population on agricultural subjects especially interesting to women.

In the teachers' colleges, which are under the administration of the Ministry of Arts and Sciences, the study of agriculture is obligatory in the third year, as the curriculum of the elementary schools includes one or two hours' weekly instruction in this subject. Vacation courses are held annually from August to September in the Teachers' Seminaries of Nivelles and Ghent; the teacher who attends these and passes an exami

nation in the Easter holidays, obtains a certificate "of competency for imparting instruction in agriculture ".

In conclusion, the writer mentions that the authorities of the province of Hainant opened a school in 1911 at Ath for agriculture and stock-breeding; the course is a three-years' one. The province of Brabant in 1911-12 opened two more winter schools at Court-St-Etienne and Tirlemont; these were each attended the first year by from 25 to 30 students.

339- The New Bill for the Advancement of Agricultural Instruction in Canada.

Communicated by T. K. DOHERTY, Commissioner of the International Institute of Agri culture in Canada.

A Bill of the greatest importance to agriculture in Canada was introduced in the House of Commons on January 24th, 1913, by the Hon. Martin Burrell, Minister of Agriculture. The new measure is the practical application of the "Agricultural Aid Act" passed in April, 1912, giving power to the Governor-in-Council to make grants to the Provinces for the encouragement of Agriculture.

On the passing of the Act in Aid of Agriculture, Dr. C. C. James, Deputy Minister of the Ontario Department of Agriculture, was appointed to investigate agricultural conditions in Canada and ascertain in what way the federal authorities could best assist the provinces in developing Canada's basic industry. Dr. James has consulted with the provincial governments and with the men in charge of the various agricultural institutions of the country and the results of his work is the new Bill now before the House of Commons.

The new law is "for the purpose of aiding and advancing the farming industry by instruction in agriculture." The money voted to the provinces under it will be devoted exclusively to agricultural education. The object of the Act is to increase the efficiency and equipment of the agricultural colleges, establish agricultural schools, dairying and horticultural schools, and short courses in agriculture, and to initiate agricultural teaching in the public schools and work by travelling or located qualified instructors. Educational work will also be carried on by mears of demonstration trains and the training of teachers in domestic science and nature study.

According to the terms of the new Blll $10 000 000 are to be given to the provinces to be expended on agricultural education during the next ten years. 700 000 will be allotted the first year and this amount will be increased by $100 000 annually until 1917, from which year until 1923 $1 100 000 will be provided yearly.

Speaking broadly the division of the money among the provinces will be on a population basis. There are, however, slight modifications of this principle. In the first place, $20 000 a year is to be set aside to be divided among such veterinary colleges as grant degrees and come up to a required standard. In addition $20 000 will be allotted to each province