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Sess. 11.—1891. NEW ZEALAND.

SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE, LINCOLN (REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF), FOR YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1891.

Laid on the Table by the Hon. Mr." J. McKenzie, by Leave of the House.

The Registbak, Canterbury College, to the Hon. the Ministek of Lands. Sib,— Christchurch, 18th August, 1891. I have the honour, by direction of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, to forward herewith the report of the Director of the School of Agriculture, Lincoln, for the twelve months ending the 30th June, 1891, together with Appendices Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, attached thereto. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Lands, Wellington. A. Cbaceoft Wilson, Eegistrar.

The Dikectoh, Agricultural College, to the Chairman, Board of Governors, Canterbury College. Sib, — Canterbury College, School of Agriculture, Lincoln, 23rd July, 1891. I have the honour to submit my report for the twelve months ending the 30th June, 1891. College. —The year has been a fairly successful one. During the second term, 1890, the number of students was forty-one, whilst for the first term, 1891, the number was forty-five. Several applications for admission have had to be postponed, the accommodation for students having been fully occupied. The work done by students is about up to the usual standard. There is a fair proportion of good workers, but I should much like to be able to report an improvement on the part of the majority. I cannot say that reducing the fee to £40 per annum has given us a more industrious or intellectual class of students, though the reduction to that amount has resulted in filling the school. To have to deal with listless, dull, lazy, in fact, useless youths, is most disheartening to the teaching staff, and, as these always claim to have been here, their presence is a positive injury to the institution. At the last annual examination the final certificate was awarded to students A. E. Fuller, T. P. Clark, and Eobert Murray. I am very glad to know that the University Senate has before it the question of recognising agriculture by conferring a degree on similar lines to the B.Sc. in Agriculture of the University of Edinburgh. I have several times brought forward the question of making our final certificate of more importance, and I gladly welcome this proposal of the Senate, trusting, however, that the taking of this degree may not be practically plaoed out of the reach of our students by the insistance upon the observance of conditions difficult to be complied with. Such, for instance, would be residence in Christchurch, after passing a certain time here, for the purpose of completing the science course. We have, I think, sufficient convenience here for students attaining to the necessary standard, but if we cannot prepare students for an University examination in subjects pertaining to agriculture, means should be found for the schools so doing, for I feel assured that this suggested condition of compulsory r attendance at lectures in town will render almost nugatory the otherwise most valuable proposition of the University Senate, for very few agricultural students either could or would afford time and money to pass a considerable time in town. And the question of ways and means would especially be a most important one for scholarship students, amongst the ranks of whom I should expect to find the largest number of candidates for the honour. But until agriculture is introduced into the State schools as one of the subjects of tuition, there will always be a lack of interest in the subject on the part of the cleverer boys, to whom we should look for an annual draft—by means of scholarships granted to the most deserving—into this technical secondary school, where they should work up for University honours. This question of agriculture in State schools and scholarships is from time to time brought forward by one or another as something new, but I should like to state that in nearly all my reports for the last eleven years this subject has been more or less fully noticed. The increased number of students rendered necessary increased supervision and direction on the farm, and Mr. W. H. Alington was appointed farm overseer out of some thirty-five applicants. This appointment has answered expectations. To show how students have been employed I append copy of time-table in force (Appendix No. 10). I—E. 10.