This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 Excerpt:...hoped that efforts will be made to teach agriculture, at least theoretically, in the elementary schools, and to start school gardens, so that the cultivation and treatment of the soil may become more popular than they appear to be at present amongst the rising generation. In regard to the latter point the Committee charged with the preparation of evidence for the Royal Commission states that the "advanced educational pro"gramme has greatly crippled the labour supply, and deprived "agriculturists of the services of the younger portion of the "labouring class." This is understood to refer to the continuation of children at school beyond a certain age. The same subject is discussed in the statement submitted by the various ministers of religiontas follows:--" In many instances the acquisition of a small "holding results in the persistent labour of the individual owner, "while the younger generation, knowing that their parents possess "as much as to furnish necessaries, are content to grow up in any"thing but a thrifty condition. In this respect small holdings "do not tend to promote thrift, especially among the younger "generation. "We are of the opinion that the lack of thrift, and the indiffer"ence of the younger generation, might be remedied by the intro"duction of the subject of agriculture in the school curriculum. "The theory of agriculture may be taught by the use of text"books, or as one of the subjects in the higher standards of the "elementary schools; but the present staff of teachers cannot be "expected to go beyond that, inasmuch as by the code of education "recently inaugurated the teaching power of the schools has been "considerably reduced....