5

E.—7.

School op Agriculture. Fifty-six students have attended during the past twelve months, there being thirty-five students in residence during the past term, viz. :—From Auckland, six; Hawke's Bay, three ; Wellington, two ; Marlborough, one ; Nelson, one ; Canterbury, thirteen ; Otago, five ; Australia, two ; and England, two. At the annual examination held in December last the final certificate was awarded to students Orbell, Gardner, Joynt, Dickson, and Tiffen. The Director having reported that although the majority of students could not pass the examination for the final certificate under three years, there was always a minority of clever and more industrious students who could by hard work pass in two years, and that these often demurred at having to stay three years, and left without completing the course ; it was decided, in order to induce these students to remain and take the final certificate, to reduce the period of the course of instruction from three years to two, those failing to pass the final examination at the end of two years being allowed to remain a third year if they thought fit. An arrangement has been submitted by the Director, at the suggestion of Professor Hutton, and approved, whereby students who have passed certain examinations in Science are enabled to obtain the final certificate in fifteen months, being required to attend only lectures on Agriculture and subjects other than those in which they have been examined, and to render themselves proficient in practical agriculture. It has been found necessary to supplement the income of the school by raising the fees from £46 10s. to £65. The cost of students is considerably in excess even of the latter amount, and as the school is now fairly well established, it does not appear probable that the alteration will diminish the number of students. Arrangements have been made with the Union S.S. Company, by which students may now travel by the boats of the Company, both ways, at the rate of a single fare for both journeys. The Examiners in practical agriculture express themselves very well satisfied with the condition of the farm, and with the proficiency in farm work of the students presented to them for examination. The yield of grain last harvest was very good, the total quantity being 11,005 bushels. Wheat averaged 49 -nj bushels per acre, oats 54|, and barley 43, or all round, 50 1- bushels per acre. The low prices ruling for grain cause the returns from even these good yields to be less than is desirable, and necessitates the observance of stricter economy in the expenditure upon experimental work than we should prefer. The turnip crop is exceedingly good. The live stock on the farm comprises 1460 sheep, 55 head of cattle, besides pigs, horses, ka. The reports of the Director of the Museum, and of the Art Master, are appended to this statement. The Board may think it advisable to publish these reports. The accounts of the Board for the year ending December 31st, 1884, have been duly audited by Mr. Ollivier, and certified to be correct.

Appendix I. Annual Report of the Art Master. I have the honour to submit the following report of work done during the year June 1884-s:— The number of students who received instruction in the school was 467, as against 482 during the preceding year. The roll just commenced shows 309, an unusually large number at this early period (the third week) of the year ; during the corresponding week last year only 237 had joined the school. Morning Glass. —A slight falling off in attendance at this class had occurred during the past year, owing probably to the commercial depression prevailing in the district, together with the increased fee adopted by the Board at the beginning of last year ; twenty-five students have entered this term. According to the wish of the Board landscape from nature is to be included in the school work. When this is known the more popular nature of this work will probably be the means of increasing the attendance. Evening Class. —This class commenced the year term with sixty-three students, an increase of thirteen on the corresponding period last year. During the third term last year I commenced weekly lectures on plant form and design, applied to the industrial arts, similar to those delivered at the National Art Training School, South Kensington, London. Each student brings a specimen of the plant announced for the work of the lecture, such as the honeysuckle, rose, or common flower, which is explained botanically, its details of form, with suggestions for ornamental treatment, drawn on the board before the students, several of whom took up the work and prepared a few elementar}* designs for competition at the annual exhibition of school work held in December. Speaking of this work, the Lyttelton Times of Dec. 20th says : —" Messrs. Petersen's silver medal for a series of competitive designs, by pupils who have attended these lectures, has brought about a most encouraging result. Every one who visits the room in which they are displayed will be both surprised and charmed at the pleasing forms of ornamentation which trained artistic skill can draw from the commonest flowers." These lectures are delivered to the morning as well as the evening class. I hope during the present year to obtain from this class designs that may be applied to practical purposes. The usual work in building and machine drawing has been carried on by the artisans attending in the evening. The Board, wishing to provide a more technical course of instruction in these subjects, communicated with me on the matter, with the result that I am preparing courses of lectures on these subjects, to be commenced next term on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. These technological classes will be distinct in every respect from the School of Art classes held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. In connection with the mechanical lectures of the technical school, I have obtained from the Hon. the Minister of Public Works a complete set of the working drawings for the locomotives about to be made by Messrs. Scott Bros., of Christchurch, for the Government railways ; these will be most useful in this class, as I purpose taking up the locomotive engine during the first course. I have also much pleasure in stating that I have obtained from Messrs. Scott Bros, permission to take our students through their workshops for purposes of study, at such times as may be arranged. Boys' High School Class. —The work of this class, hitherto confined to elementary freehand, and taken as an optional subject on the Wednesday half-holiday for two hours, viz., from 2 to 4, was in January this year made a school subject; seventy-four out of the ninety-four boys on the school roll give one hour a