Everyone who has given any thought to the subject knows how difficult it is to teach technical agriculture unless provision has been made in the general education of the country for instruction in those fundamental principles of science which, recognised or unrecognised, lie at the root of, and profoundly influence agricultural practice.

This foundation, as I have shown, is now being laid in Ireland.

In our scheme the boy who has managed to avail himself of a two or three years' course of practical science in one of the secondary schools is then prepared to take full advantage of courses of technology, and will have to make up his mind as to the career he is to follow.

We are now considering the case of a boy who is going to become a farmer, the class to which we chiefly look for the future well-being of Ireland.

It is necessary that he should be taught the practical as well as the technical side of agriculture.