The Lancet of 28th October refers to work done at the Wernersville State Asylum, Pennsylvania, where chronic patients considered fit to labour are received from the other State institutions. The results of five years' experience of agricultural labour are given as follows: - (a) Of the patients 6 per cent. can perform work equal to paid labour, 30 per cent. can perform labour equal to one half of paid labour, and 50 per cent. are equal to one fourth of the value of paid labour. The balance of 14 per cent. are non-working, and this includes those who are ill or are found on trial not to be able to work. (b) The estimated value of the gross amount of work done during the current year, on a basis of 400 men, is $29,000. The estimated cost of food per head is 20 cents per diem, or $1.40 per week. (c) The health and welfare of the patients are medically attended to, and the medical reports regarding the health and mortality are found to be entirely satisfactory. Indoor work, e.g. brush-making, is now being introduced as an extension of the original industrial scheme, and it is believed that this also can be pursued with profit. These results are representative of our experience in asylums of this country where an adequate area of agricultural ground has been secured. It is somewhat surprising that the Lancet should go on to recommend that the example of Wernersville should be followed by other institutions in Britain and America. Old-established asylums such as Wakenfield and Utica are veritable hives of industry; it is years since machinery was introduced in the shoemaking department at the former, and the old men were encouraged to make and repair stockings; while the useful trades at Utica are representative of the greatest possible variety, and would be still more efficient but for the interference of trades unions. Of course every asylum ought to have a farm proportionate to its size. It is late in the day to advocate that primitive measure.