REPORT TO THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL HELD AT LEEDS, MAY 5 TO 8, 1902. 1. THE Sub-Committee to whom was delegated by the National Agricultural Examination Board the conduct of the third examination held by the Board for the National Diploma in the Science and Practice of Agriculture beg leave to report that, by the courtesy of the authorities of the Yorkshire College, this examination was held at Leeds from May 5 to 8, 1902, when 67 out of 69 candidates who entered presented themselves for examination. 2. Following upon a decision of the Board of October 11, 1900, a rule was made that candidates should in future sit for Parts I. and II. of the examination in different years, Part II. being required to be taken by a candidate within two years of his passing Part I. For this year's examination in Part I., which comprises the five subjects of Mensuration and Land Surveying, Agricultural Botany, General Chemistry, Geology, and Agricultural Entomology, there were 52 entries. Of these, 11 were candidates that had previously failed to pass in Part I., and 40 sat for the first time. One candidate who entered failed to present himself. 3. In 1901, 20 candidates passed in Part I. only, becoming therefore entitled to sit for Part II. either this year or in 1903. Seventeen candidates (of whom 1 passed Part I. in 1900 and 16 in 1901) entered this year for Part II., which comprises the subjects of Practical Agriculture, Agricultural Book-keeping, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, and Veterinary Science. One candidate who entered was absent through ill-health. The result of the examination was that 10 candidates succeeded in passing Part II., and will therefore be entitled to receive the National Diploma in Agriculture as having passed in all the ten subjects of the examination. None of the 10 candidates fulfilled the conditions necessary under the regulations for the award of the Diploma with Honours. 4. The following are the names of the 10successful candidates who are entitled to the Diploma, placed in order of merit : for the National Diploma in Agriculture. 363 1. PATRICK FOWLIE, The Agricultural College, Aspatria, and Yorkshire College, Leeds. [Aberdeen. 2. THOMAS MILBURN, Harris Institute, Preston. 3. WILLIAM MAITLAND FINDLAY, Agricultural Department, The University, 4. JOHN PERCIVAL, Harris Institute, Preston, and Harper-Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Salop. 5. EDWARD PORTER, Harris Institute, Preston, and West of Scotland Agricultural College, Glasgow. 6. JOHN EDWIN RIGG, Harris Institute, Preston. 7. ABEL EDWIN JONES, University College of North Wales, Bangor, and University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. 8. JAMES BRADSHAW, Harris Institute, Preston, and West of Scotland Agricultural College, Glasgow. 9. JOHN FORREST, Harris Institute, Preston. [Glasgow. 10. GEOFFREY STEELE HENDERSON, West of Scotland Agricultural College, 5. As the result of the examination in Part I., 26 candidates (including 5 who failed previously) succeeded in passing in all the subjects, and have therefore qualified to sit for Part II. of the examination in either 1903 or 1904. The remaining 25 candidates failed. 6. The following are the names of the successful candidates in Part I., placed in alphabetical order : 1 ROBERT CHARLES ANDREW, Harper-Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Salop. 2 JOHN BATESON, Harris Institute, Preston. 3 HERBERT BOWMAN BEDDALL, Kempston Manor, Bedford. 4 FRANCIS HOWARD BILLINGTON, Cheshire Agricultural School, Holmes Chapel. 5 JOHN EDWARD BRIDGES, Deighton Lane, Batley, Yorkshire. 6 WILLIAM FRANK CRASKE, South-Eastern Agricultural College, Wye, Kent. 7 JOHN ELLIS, Panty barwn, Llangwyryfon, Aberystwyth. 8 BENJAMIN LESLIE EMSLIE, Greenfield, Rothes, Morayshire. 9 HENRY BROUGHAM HUTCHINSON, Harris Institute, Preston. 10 SAMUEL GILBERT ISITT, Harper-Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Salop. 11 PERCY HUTCHINSON LAMB, Clapham Vicarage, Yorkshire. 12 ALEXANDER BUCHANAN LAMONT, West of Scotland Agricultural Coll., Glasgow. 13 JOHN MILLER LONSDALE, Harris Institute, Preston. 14 HUBERT MARTIN, Cheshire Agricultural School, Holmes Chapel. 15 WILLIAM JAMES MEGAW, 142, Clifton Park Road, Belfast. 16 EDWARD BERTRAM OSBORNE, 9, Cavendish Park, Barrow-in-Furness. 17 JOHN PORTER, West of Scotland Agricultural College, Glasgow. 18 ROGER PROSSER, Gerefordd, Talgarth. 19 CHARLES EDWARD RANDOLPH, Grove House, Hellifield, Yorkshire. 20 THOMAS RULE, Agricultural College, Aspatria. 21 FERDINAND PAUL SCHWEIKHER, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. 22 ROBERT EDWARD SEVERS, Scotton Fields, Richmond, Yorks. 23 ANDREW STEEDMAN, Royal College of Science, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin. 24 JAMES GUTHRIE STEWART, Nether Blairock, Deskford, Cullen, N.B. 25 WILLIAM THOMAS STOCKLEY, Harris Institute, Preston. 26 JAMES WOOD THOMPSON, Harris Institute, Preston. 7. The reports of the Examiners in the five subjects included in Part I. are as follows: 1. AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. (Maximum, 200 Marks.) Mr. W. Carruthers, F.R.S. Some of the papers on Agricultural Botany were of high excellence; and all that got sufficient marks to secure a pass showed in their answers a sound knowledge of Botany and an intelligent application of that knowledge to Agriculture. Several candidates sat who possessed so imperfect an acquaintance with Botany that it is difficult to conceive how they could have hoped to succeed in the most elementary examination. 2. MENSURATION AND LAND SURVEYING. (200 Marks.) Mensuration. A distinct improvement was noticeable in the methods adopted to arrive at the result with the least complication of figures. The formulas were well known. Land Surveying. More practical work has evidently been carried out since the last examination a year ago, with the result that two of the questions (which could not possibly have been answered by the study of text-books alone) were well answered. Attention is again drawn to the lack of knowledge shown by most of the candidates as to the Ordnance Maps. Text-books contain very little information on this subject, and it is suggested that if the Director-General, Ordnance Survey Department, Southampton, were communicated with, he would be able to inform instructors as to where the requisite explanations in connection with the Maps could be obtained. The word "Ordnance" was, in a majority of cases, spelt Ordinance." 3. GENERAL CHEMISTRY. (100 Marks.) Dr. T. W. Drinkwater. The questions were better answered on the whole this year than on the two previous occasions. Every candidate attempted the sum which was set in the paper, and the majority of them worked it correctly. The Organic Chemistry was weak in all the papers, and in the rirá roce examination two of the candidates confessed that they had not studied this division of the subject at all. For students who have afterwards to specialise in Agricultural Chemistry, a sound knowledge of Organic Chemistry appears to be most important. In several of the papers the spelling was very bad. 4. GEOLOGY. (100 Marks.) Mr. J. E. Marr, M.A., F.R.S. The Examiner in Geology begs to report that the general knowledge of Geology displayed by the majority of the candidates was of a satisfactory nature. He would again call attention to the ignorance or partial ignorance of the nature of geological maps, which was exhibited by a large number of the candidates. He regards acquaintanceship with the principles of geological mapping as of very great importance to the student of Agriculture, and believes it would be well to draw the special attention of candidates to this matter. 5. AGRICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY. (100 Marks.) Prof. J. Arthur Thomson. Most of the candidates showed a satisfactory knowledge of the subject within the limits of the syllabus, and there was pleasing evidence of increased familiarity with common insects. The same cannot be said in regard to the common parasitic worms, a knowledge of which is certainly included in the requirements of the syllabus. Only a few candidates recognised "bladderworms of the pig, for instance, though almost all seemed to be theoretically familiar with their life-history. Many students answered the question about Trichina spiralis-quite an apposite question at present-by describing some for the National Diploma in Agriculture. 365 quite different form. The question which was best answered-often in unnecessary detail- -was the practical one (No. 6) relating to preventions and remedies; this points to useful teaching. The question which was answered with least success was the first part of No. 2, referring to the general characters of Dipterous insects. It is difficult to give any explanation of this defect. The Examiner would again emphasise the necessity of practical work, and would point out that the use of numerous specimens in the rirâ roce examination has, in the past three years, been associated with a very marked improvement in the candidates' practical acquaintance with the actual facts. 8. The Examiners in the five subjects included in Part II. report as below : 6. PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. (Maximum, 500 Marks.) Mr. T. A. Dickson Mr. James Biggar, and Professor W. McCracken. The Examiners again find that all the candidates have a very fair knowledge of Agriculture as practised in their own districts; but, with possibly one exception, they are insufficiently informed as to the conditions and methods prevalent in other parts of the Kingdom. When the questions relating to the construction of farm buildings were attempted, the answers were not very satisfactory; apparently this item in the syllabus has not received the attention it deserves. Answers dealing with cheese-making proved that the writers possessed a thorough and practical knowledge of the subject. In the rirâ roce, nearly all the candidates acquitted themselves better than in their written work; and in this connection it may not be out of place again to call attention to the fact that a comparatively brief answer which is well considered, orderly, and to the point, is worth more marks than a much longer answer if it be confused or mixed up with much irrelevant matter. 7. AGRICULTURAL BOOK-KEEPING. (200 Marks.) Mr. W. Home Cook, C.A. The majority of the candidates showed a fair knowledge of book-keeping, and several of the papers were very creditably done. A few of the candidates, however, did not appear to have thoroughly grasped the principles of doubleentry book-keeping. On the whole the candidates have done well in this paper. 8. AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. (200 Marks.) Dr. J. Augustus Voelcker, M.A., F.I.C., and Dr. Bernard Dyer, F.1.C. The Examiners are well satisfied with the results of the examination in Agricultural Chemistry. In the paper work nine out of the sixteen candidates who sat secured two-thirds marks or over, and in the vira roce the majority of the candidates acquitted themselves well. Only three candidates failed in the subject, and of these one by only a small margin. It seems desirable to point out that in dealing with the question (No. 6) relating to compensation for unexhausted manurial value of cake consumed on the farm, several candidates made the too common mistake of taking as their basis of valuation the actual price of the cake, and not its chemical composition. On the question relating to practical chemical analysis (No. 7) it was pleasing to note that a large proportion of the candidates gave excellent replies, showing that they had more than theoretical acquaintance with the processes they described, and were able to set out clearly the details of the operations involved. 9. AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. (200 Marks.) Mr. F. S. Courtney, M.Inst.C.E. As a whole the papers showed a very fair general knowledge, though considerable difficulty was exhibited in the practical application of it. This was also noticeable in the virâ roce examination, in which a very little assistance extracted correct applications. In many cases replies to some of the questions were given at undue length, and as a consequence other questions 366 Results of Examination for National Diploma in Agriculture. were sacrificed. The lack of any knowledge of freehand drawing, to which attention has so repeatedly been called, unfortunately continues as noticeable as ever. Considering how useful in everyday life it is to be able to make an intelligible sketch, it would be well that some attention should be given to this subject. 10. VETERINARY SCIENCE. (100 Marks.) Professor J. McFadyean, M.B. With a few exceptions the knowledge of anatomy, physiology and hygiene displayed by the candidates was quite satisfactory. Upon the whole the candidates acquitted themselves best in the rivâ roce part of the examination. In several cases the written papers were markedly defective in the matter of grammar, composition, and spelling. 9. The Sub-Committee would point to the increasing number of candidates as evidence that the examinations conducted by the two National Societies of England and Scotland are meeting a distinct want, by providing an independent test of the agricultural teaching at the various centres in the United Kingdom. The results of this year's examination indicate a continued improvement in the standard of knowledge attained by the candidates in the various subjects; but, as has been pointed out by more than one Examiner, the general education of many of the candidates is very deficient. Many students whose papers were otherwise creditable exhibited a remarkable ignorance of spelling, grammar, and ordinary English composition. 10. The thanks of the Board are due to the authorities of the Yorkshire College, Leeds, for their liberality and courtesy in placing the Large Hall and other rooms of the College at the Board's disposal for the examination; and to the several Examiners for the care and attention they bestowed upon the written answers to the papers set, and upon the viva voce examination. JOHN GILLESPIE (Chairman). ERNEST H. GODFREY, ERNEST CLARKE. June 5, 1902. Secretary. [For Examination Papers, see Appendix, page clxxxvii.] |