7.A good plan is that of spending the six winter months of several years after leaving school in learning science in College， and the six summer months as articled pupils in large workshops.The present writer introduced this plan about forty years ago at University College， Bristol (now the University of Bristol).But it has practical difficulties which can be overcome only by the cordial and generous co-operation of the heads of large firms with the College authorities.Another excellent plan is that adopted in the school attached to the works of Messrs Mather and Platt at Manchester."The drawings made in the school are of work actually in progress in the shops.One day the teacher gives the necessary explanations and calculations， and the next day the scholars see， as it were on the anvil， the very thing which has been the subject of his lecture."8.The employer binds himself to see that the apprentice is thoroughly taught in the workshop all the subdivisions of one great division of his trade， instead of letting him learn only one of these subdivisions， as too often happens now.The apprentice's training would then often be as broad as if he had been taught the whole of the trade as it existed a few generations ago； and it might be supplemented by a theoretical knowledge of all branches of the trade， acquired in a technical school.Something resembling the old apprenticeship system has recently come into vogue for young Englishmen who desire to learn the business of farming under the peculiar conditions of a new country...and there are some signs that the plan may be extended to the business of farming in this country， for which it is in many respects admirably adapted.But there remains a great deal of education suitable to the farmer and to the farm-labourer which can best be given in agricultural colleges and dairy schools.
Meanwhile many great agencies for the technical education of adults are being rapidly developed， such as public exhibitions， trade associations and congresses， and trade journals.Each of them has its own work to do.In agriculture and some other trades the greatest aid to progress is perhaps found in public shows.
But those industries， which are more advanced and in the hands of persons of studious habits， owe more to the diffusion of practical and scientific knowledge by trade journals； which， aided by changes in the methods of industry and also in its social conditions， are breaking up trade secrets and helping men of small means in competition with their richer rivals.
9.The heads of almost every progressive firm on the Continent have carefully studied processes and machinery in foreign lands.
The English are great travellers； but partly perhaps on account of their ignorance of other languages they seem hardly to set enough store on the technical education that can be gained by the wise use of travel.
10.In fact every designer in a primitive age is governed by precedent： only very daring people depart from it； even they do not depart far， and their innovations are subjected to the test of experience， which， in the long run， is infallible.For though the crudest and most ridiculous fashions in art and in literature will be accepted by the people for a time at the bidding of their social superiors， nothing but true artistic excellence has enabled a ballad or a melody， a style of dress or a pattern of furniture to retain its popularity among a whole nation for many generations together.These innovations， then， which were inconsistent with the true spirit of art were suppressed， and those that were on the right track were retained， and became the starting-point for further progress； and thus traditional instincts played a great part in preserving the purity of the industrial arts in Oriental countries， and to a less extent in medieval Europe.
11.French designers find it best to live in Paris： if they stay for long out of contact with the central movements of fashion they seem to fall behindhand.Most of them have been educated as artists， but have failed of their highest ambition.It is only in exceptional cases， as for instance for the S鑦res china， that those who have succeeded as artists find it worth their while to design.Englishmen can， however， hold their own in designing for Oriental markets， and there is evidence that the English are at least equal to the French in originality； though they are inferior in quickness in seeing how to group forms and colours so as to obtain an effective result.(See the Report on Technical Education， Vol.1， pp.256， 261， 324， 325 and Vol.III， pp.
