PROCEEDINGS AT BOAED MEETINGS. 5 



Manse ; Mr. Maxtone Graliaiu of Coltoquhey ; Mr. Hope, Duddiugstou ; ^Ir. Irvine 

 of Drum ; Mr. Eliott Lockhart of Bortlnvickbrae ; Mr. Pott of Dod ; Mr. Smith, Wliit- 

 linghame ; Mr. John Turnbull Smith, C.A.; Colonel Williamson of Lawers : Professor 

 Wilson ; Dr. Aitken — Mr. Smith, Whittinghame, in the chair. 



Mr. F. N. Menzies reported apologies for the absence of Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, 

 Bart. ; Admiral Sir William Edmonstone, Bart. ; Mr. Balfour of Balbirnie ; Colonel 

 Hare of Calder Hall ; Mr. Harris, Earnhill ; Mr. Kennedy of Sundaywell ; Mr. Mac- 

 kenzie of Portmore ; Mr. Pialston, Glamis ; Mr. Scott, Glendronach ; Mr, Smith, chief 

 magistrate, Kelso ; and Mr. Campbell Swinton of Kimmerghame. 



The Late Right Hun. W. P. Adam. — Before proceeding to the business of the day, 

 the Board directed the Secretary to record in the minutes the deep regret with which 

 the Directors regard the death of the Plight Hon. William P. Adam of Blairadam, and 

 to express their sense of the assistance which the Society had received from him as a 

 Member and Extraordinary Director. 



CoMMissiux ON Agriculture.— The following letter from the Duke of Richmond 

 ^ud Gordon, K.G., addressed to the Secretary, was read : — 



" 8 Richmond Terrace, \\Tiitehall, 

 " 4th May 1881. 

 *' Sir, — As President of the Royal Commission on Agriculture, 1 have to ask yoit to 

 •be so good as to convey the thanks of the Commissioners to the Directors of the High- 

 land and Agricultural Society for their kindness in lending their rooms in Edinburgh 

 for the meetings of the Commission, and also for the facilities they afforded for carry- 

 ing on the business of the Commission. I trust that the Members of the Society were 

 not inconvenienced by our temporary occupation of their rooms. I have also to thank 

 you and the other officials of the Society for the assistance you rendered during the 

 stay of the Commission in Edinburgh. ^I am. Sir, your obedient servant, 



(Signed) " Richmond and Gordon." 



Ages of Shorthorn Cattle. — The report by the committee apijointed to consider 

 ■whether the ages of shorthorn cattle to be exhibited at the Society's shows should be 

 •counted from 1st January or 1st December was before the meeting, from which it 

 ajipeared that the connuittee, in accordance with the remit from the Directors, sent 

 circulars with the view of ascertaining the opinions of all persons who were breeders 

 •or exhibitors of shorthorns at the Society's general .shows during the last eight years, 

 and also consulted the l^ioyal Agricultural Society of England. The Society had 

 received replies from ninety-eight. Of these eight were neutral, thirty-one were of 

 opinion that the ages should be calculated from 1st December, and fifty-nine were in 

 favour of adhering to the ])resent mode of counting the ages from 1st January. The 

 answer from Mr. Jenkins, the Secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 

 was to the effect that for some years there had been a growing feeling in favour of 

 ^altering their previous date of 1st July to the 1st of January, which is now the date 

 adopted. The committee were of opinion that Mr. Mollison produced several strong 

 reasons in favour of the ages of shorthorn and polled being calculated from the same 

 "date ; but as the suljject was not included in the rcfmit, the committee felt that it 

 could not Vje taken up. It was ultimately resolved that, in consequence of tlie majority 

 of the answers Ijeing in favour of the 1st of January, to recommend the Directors to 

 -ndhere to that date. 



MEP:TING of directors, R'th JLWE 1881. 



Present — The Earl of Mar and Kellie ; Lord Artlnir Cecil ; Lord Balfour of Bur- 

 leigh ; Sir George H. Scott Douglas of Suriiigwood I'ark, Bart.; Sir Alexander Muir 

 .'Mackenzie of Delvine, Bart.; Sir Henry J. Seton Steuart of Touch, Bart.; Sir James 

 Ramsay (Jibson-Maitland of Bariiton, Bart.; Mr. Ainslie of Costeiion ; Professor 

 Brilf'our ; Mr. Dickson of Corstoriihine ; Mr. Dingwall of Ramornie ; Colonel Gillon of 

 Wallliou.se; Mr. Maxtone Graiiaiii of ('iilto(jiiliey ; Mr. Milne Home of Milne 

 Gradeii ; Mr. Hope, Duddiugstou ; Mr. Irvine of lirum ; Mr. Kennedy of Sundny- 

 •^vell ; -Mr. Pott of Dod; Mr. Scott, Glemlronach ; Mr. Smith. Whittinghame; Mr. 

 JdIim TiinibuU Smith, ('.A. ; Mr. Walker of Rowland, C.B. ; Colonel Williamson of 

 Lawers— 'J'he E;irl of Mar and Kellie in the chair. 



Ajtolopies were reported for the absence of Sir Jnnies H. Gibson-Craig of Riccarton, 

 Bart.; Mr. Knlston, Glainis ; and Professor Wilson. 



The business had returcnce principally to the subjects to be brought 1>€fore the 

 general me'-t'ng of this date. 



