298 



classification of ascidians in the chain of evolution as the connecting link 

 between the invertebrate and vertebrate types. After the reading of the 

 paper microscopical specimens illustrating the minuter details of structure 

 were exhibited." 



" Seed Pickle.— Mr. Lawrie brought forward the question of the best 

 pickle for seeding. Most persons used bluestone, but it was a question 

 whether that was the best. He had pickled with Dollman's Farmer's Friend, 

 and had 28, 20, and 16 bushels an acre. When he came to Napperby he 

 had pickled solely with salt, and his neighbour (Mr. Ward) had used blue- 

 stone, and had much less than he did. He (Mr. Lawrie) did not think blue- 

 stone the best pickle, as it injured the grain, and he thought some sort of 

 pickle might be got which would be better than bluestone. Perhaps some 

 other members would give their experience. Mr. G. Lovelock had tried 

 different methods of pickling, and found bluestone the best for preventing 

 smut. If, however, the land was clean, he considered it best to sow per- 

 fectly dry. Mr. J. Ward's experience was that if wheat pickled with 

 bluestone got wet it was not fit for pigs. Mr. Lovelock thought bluestone 

 a preventative of smut, but it injured the grain. He intended this year to 

 wash some smutty wheat, and see what effect that would have. Mr. Lawrie 

 hoped something would be found which would feed the grain instead of 

 detracting from its power. The question of lime pickle was mentioned, 

 and the subject dropped." 



The President said that the wheat disease referred to was the ordinary 

 form of " rust," which, he believed, no amount of washing would be likely 

 to remove. For "bunt" it was a good practice to dress with sulphate of 

 copper, but rust was so perfectly an organic disease that no amount of 

 dressing was likely to be effectual. 



The President then read a list of the various objects found during the 

 excursion of the Club to Keston on May 19th, and exhibited a coloured 

 drawing of the chief forms of fresh-water algae met with on that occasion. 



Mr. E. M. Nelson exhibited and described a new method of fixing 

 objectives to the microscope, to obviate the trouble and time needed in the 

 usual mode of screwing. It was much simpler than the one which he 

 described to the Club in September last,* and was made on the principle 

 of the bayonet joint. A collar, provided with three radially projecting 

 pins, equi-distant apart, was screwed upon the object glass. The adapter 

 was made with an external screw of the standard gauge, so as to screw into 

 the nose of the microscope, and was formed with three annular grooves on 

 the inside, into which grooves led three vertical notches. The annular 

 grooves were slightly inclined, so that by inserting the three pins on the 

 objective collar and giving the objective a partial turn it was firmly secured 

 in place. 



Mr. Ingpen said with regard to the exact position of the objective this 

 method of fixing was of importance, for if the objective did not properly 

 centre, no shifting of the eye-piece was likely to correct it. If an objec- 

 tive centred correctly, the centering of the eye-piece was a matter of much 



* See page 152. 



