E.—7.

Saturday Students, —Owing to the withdrawal of the grant by the Board of Education the teachers for some time past have had no instruction whatever in drawing. To meet this want, in the second term of last year, a special class was established from 9.30 to 12.30 on Saturday mornings. The number of teachers and pupil-teachers who have availed themselves of the opportunity have been as follows : Second term, 1890, 79 ; third term, 1890, 78 ; first term, 1891, 66. Free Studentships. —Six free studentships in the morning and evening classes were competed for in the work done during the year. In the morning class they were awarded as follows : Landscapes from nature, Miss M. Gee ; painting from life, Miss E. E. Munnings; light and shade, Miss E. G. Culliford. Evening class: Drawing from life, G. 0. Chaplin; architectural drawing, A. W. Fielder ; light and shade, Miss E. G. Deakin. The scholarships offered for competition to the head boy in drawing in each of the district schools were competed for in January, when eight out of the ten schools were represented. The successful students have attended regularly during the year, and have received careful training. Auckland Exhibition. —At the last competition held by the Auckland Society of Arts all the chief prizes, four firsts, four honourable mentions, and the silver and bronze medals for the best and second best work in the whole competition, were gained by students of this school. Annual Exhibition. —The annual exhibition of the work of the students was held last February, when all branches were represented. Progress was most marked in drawing from life and the antique. Prizes.- —During the past year the Board granted prizes to the value of £10 10s. for distribution amongst the successful students. The prizes have been awarded as follows: Two in freehand, two in model, one in light and shade, one in decorative design, one in drawing from life, and two in modelling. Examinations. —The second grade examinations were held last December with the following results : Freehand, 91; model, 59; geometry, 11; perspective, 5 ; blackboard, 6 ; and full certificate, 6. t ' Public Libbaby. Reference Department. —A new book-case, to contain one thousand volumes, has been placed in this department ; also a glass-case for the safe keeping of the medical and surgical books to prevent them from being further mutilated. An order for new books was sent Home in February, some of which have been received. Two hundred and sixty-six new books have been added since the last annual statement was made. Stock has been taken, and, allowing for books missing, the total amounts to 8,259. The " English Mechanic " and " Notes and Queries " have been placed on the table. Circulating Department. —Additional shelf accommodation has been provided for fifteen hundred volumes in this department. A long table for the use of subscribers reading the many magazines and newspapers has been placed in this room, and is found hardly sufficient for the large number of readers that make use of it. An extra copy of the " Contemporary Review" and the new magazine " The Review of Reviews " has been ordered, also the " Sporting and Dramatic News." Two hundred and thirty-five volumes have been ordered from England to replace worn-out books. The usual supplementary catalogues have been printed, and have found ready sale. One thousand and seventeen new books have been added during the year. In January this department was closed for stock-taking, when the total number of volumes was found to be 12,800. There are now 1,517 subscribers, as against 1,300 last year. The weekly edition of the London Times and the magazine " Amateur Work " have been ordered from England. Beading-room. —This room is very largely attended, and its capacity is taxed to the utmost. The following newspapers and magazines are placed on the table : English, 8 ; American, 1; Australian, 8 ; New Zealand, about 45 ; and 15 magazines. The average daily attendance in the three departments is very much larger than last year's. School op Ageicultuee. At the School of Agriculture matters have been going on satisfactorily during the year. The accommodation for students has been fully occupied, and several applications for the admission of students have had to be postponed until vacancies occur at the commencement of the ensuing term. The Director states that the cost for food, fuel, and light for the past year has been £23 19s. 9d. for each person in the establishment. This amount is somewhat larger than that for last year, owing to increased cost of fuel, due to the strike of 1890, and also to the higher price of meat at about the same time. Adding to this the amount paid for servants' wages, &c, the result shows cost for students and teaching staff to be, for all items, £38 Is. 5d., being £20 3s. 2d. for the second half of 1890, and £17 18s. 3d. for the first half of 1891. The practical examiners' report describes the condition of the farm, &c. The year has been a bad one for the farm, both on account of the drought—the rainfall for 1890 being only 14'8in.—and of the partial destruction of the turnip crop by the caterpillar of the cabbage-moth. The effects are shown in the grain yield, being less than two-thirds of the average and hardly more than half that of the previous year, whilst the sheep being wintered number but two-thirds the average. One or other of these causes has also vitiated all manurial experiments on turnips, mangolds, and wheat, whilst it was not possible to attempt irrigation, even on the smallest scale, owing to the—at times —absolute want of water. In consequence of the increase in the number of students it was found necessary to appoint a farm overseer, and Mr. Alington was selected out of some thirty-five applicants. The appointment has worked satisfactorily, most of Mr. Alington's time being given to the supervision and direction of students on the farm.

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