The Manila school of agriculture was created by royal decree of November 29, 1887, and established at Manila, July 2, 1889.1 The objects of the school were: the theoretical and practical education of skilled farmers; the education of overseers; the promotion of agricultural development in the Philippines, by means of observation, experiment, and investigation. In order to enter officially into the study of scientific agriculture, it was necessary to be vouched for by a valid certificate, to be of good health, and to have studied and have passed examinations in some institution of secondary education, or other properly accredited institution. It opened with 82 students, but in the following year there were only 50. Agricultural stations were established in Isabela de LuzÓn, Ilocos, Albay, CebÚ, IloÍlo, Leyte, Mindanao, and JolÓ. Those of JolÓ and Leyte were abolished by royal decrees, dated September 10, 1888, and December 7, 1891, respectively. The course of studies was as follows: First year—elements of agriculture; mathematical problems; practical work in topography; linear and topographical drawing. Second year—special methods of cultivation; elements of stockbreeding; agricultural arts; practical work in cultivation and the industries; setting up and management of machines; drawing applied to machines and to plants. Third year—elements of rural economy; accounts and agricultural legislation; general practical work in cultivation, stockbreeding, and industry; drawing of plans. The education of the overseers was carried on in the agricultural stations, which have been created for the purpose of doing technical work in analyses of earth, systems of irrigation, studies of seed, acclimatization of vegetables and animals, study and treatment of epizootic, epiphysis, etc. The professors in the school were agricultural engineers and their assistants skilled farmers. The expenses were defrayed entirely by the government, but the direction was in the hands of the priests. The university of Santo TomÁs, both of itself, and through the Ateneo Municipal, issued certificates to skilled farmers and surveyors, for which it required mathematics, physics, chemistry, natural history, agriculture, topography, and linear and topographical drawing. The government school cannot be said to have been a success, for the Filipinos, while inclined to readily adopt the professions, have never shown any marked inclination for industrial pursuits.

Since American occupancy. By section 19 of act 74 of the Philippine Commission it was provided that there should be established and maintained a school of agriculture in the island of Negros, and by section 24 of the same act, the sum of $15,000 was appropriated out of any funds in the insular treasury not otherwise appropriated for the organization and maintenance of the school for the year 1901. It was suggested that such a school be established on the government plantation at La Carlota, but it is an inaccessible place, and it was proposed to find a more convenient place. The organization of the school was delayed in order to bring it into connection with the proposed experimental sugar plantation in Negros. By act no. 512, passed November 10, 1902, the work of establishing an agricultural college was transferred from the bureau of public instruction to the bureau of agriculture, and the government farm at La Granja in western Negros was set aside as a site for this school, and for an experiment station to be conducted in connection with it. After a long delay, plans were submitted for a main building to contain laboratories, class-rooms, offices, and also a dormitory. Twenty-five thousand dollars were appropriated for its construction. Arrangements were made, however, by which certain teachers in the provinces were to be employed to coÖperate with the bureau of agriculture in making various experiments and in gathering such information as might be useful in promoting knowledge of the agricultural conditions of the islands. At the same time the law establishing secondary instruction in provincial schools provided for the extension of the curriculum beyond the ordinary course of high-school instruction and instruction in agriculture, which meant that the provincial schools might, on a larger or smaller scale, as the authorities of the province might determine, carry on instruction and experiments in such branches of agriculture as might be supposed to be adapted to the conditions in the province in which any provincial school was established. March 25, 1903, a director of the experiment station was appointed in order that he might take charge of the government property on the estate and begin the work of getting land under cultivation.2