16 PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



a new principle, specially adcapted for deep ploughing. He was making arrangements 

 about it when he met with the accident which resulted in his lamentable death. I 

 have also to call attention to the paragraph at the bottom (page 156 of the report), 

 which states that the first drain tile-making machine devised by the Marquis of Tweed- 

 dale and Mr Ainslie was brought out at Perth Show of the Highland Society in 1836. 

 This statement is also not quite accurate. The tile machine made by my father was 

 the first machine constructed, and Mr Ainslie had nothing to do with it. The original 

 machine is still at Ye.ster. Mr Ainslie, I believe, some years afterwards constructed a 

 tile-making machine. As it will not be in my power to attend the meeting of the 

 Society to-morrow, may I ask you to bring this letter before the Society in connection 

 with the report. — Yours truly, (Signed) " Tweeddale. 



" F. N. Menzies, Esq., Secretary, 

 Highland and Agricultural Society." 



Mr Walker of Bowland said that they were much indebted to Lord Tweeddale for 

 calling attention to the inaccuracies ; and he thought it would be desirable that they 

 should have his Lordship's letter printed and appended to the report, so that the 

 correction would go to the Paris Congress along with the report. 



Captain Kinloch, yr. of Gilmerton, said he thought it would be well to appoint a 

 special committee to consider the matter, so that the correction should not go forth 

 merely as a statement by Lord Tweeddale, but as indorsed with the approval of the 

 Directors. 



Mr Walker of Bowland said he understood that the writer of the article admitted 

 that he was in eiTor. 



The Secretary said he believed that Mr Melvin admitted the mistake, so far as he 

 had mentioned Lord Tweeddale's connection with steam cultivation before he went to 

 India. It should have been after he came home. 



Captain Kinloch said that the statement by Lord Tweeddale could be taken into 

 consideration along with any additional information that might be given by the writer 

 of the article. He felt that it would be putting Lord Tweeddale in an invidious posi- 

 tion imless the Directors expressed some opinion. 



Mr Walker of Bowland said it appeared to him that the course proposed hy 

 Captain Kinloch was scarcely practicable. Were the Directors to hold a court of 

 review to see whether Lord Tweeddale or Mr Melvin was in error? When they 

 announced their decision it might be disputed by one or other of the j^arties. He 

 thought it better to let Lord Tweeddale's statement go along with Mr Melvin's paper. 

 It was hardly a matter for the Directors to decide who was right and who was 

 wrong. 



The Chairman said that the correction could hardly now be appended to the book. 



Mr Walker of Bowland said that Mr Menzies might communicate a copy of the 

 letter to the Congress as a statement by Lord Tweeddale. 



Captain Kinloch asked if the meeting would approve of communicating with Lord 

 Tweeddale and asking him what course he would wish to be pursued. 



Sir James Gardiner Baird of Saughton Hall, Bart., said that that was the first 

 time that he had heard of the matter ; but he did not think it would do to publish the 

 letter without some conmient. He imderstood from some of those present that Lord 

 Tweeddale was perfectly right, and he did not think that they should piit his Lordship 

 in the position of objecting without either holding that he was right and their report 

 wrong, or vice versa. They ought to ascertain who was in the right and who was in the 

 wrong. 



The Chairman said it was a question how far they should interfere in the matter. 

 He was not aware that the report did any injustice to Lord Tweeddale's reputation as 

 an agriculturist ; but at the same time he thought they might communicate with Lord 

 Tweeddale to see what his wishes were. If any public correction was given, it would 

 need to be through the " Transactions " of the Society. 



■ Mr Smith, Wliittinghame, said that the report did an injustice to a man of consider- 

 able experience, and who had done a great deal for steam cultivation — namely, Mr 

 Bridges, North Berwick. He, beyond all others, was the practical man in carrying it 

 through with the Marquis of Tweeddale, and he was sure that if the Marquis had a 

 voice in the matter he would wish Mr Bridges' name connected with his efibrts. He 

 himself had heard the Marquis speak of what Mr Bridges had done, and he thought 

 that injustice was done to him in the report. 



The Chairman said that the only course would be for the Secretary to communicate 

 with the Marquis of Tweeddale in regard to the matter. 



Mr Maxtone Graham of Eedgorton said that the Secretary could also write to Mr 

 Melvin, who admitted that he had been misinformed. 



Captain Kinloch said that the report dealt with the history of the steam-plough, and 

 it was a very important thing that that history should not be given to the world if any 

 part of it was challenged. The report had been distinctly challenged, and if it was not 



