PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 29 



Transactions for 1868. 



Mr Irvine of Drum, chairman of the Committee on Publications, 

 reported that the Transactions for 1868 would be published in February. The 

 usual preliminary notice will be superseded, as the Directors have resolved to 

 include in the Transactions the proceedings at the half-yearly general meetings 

 as well as an abstract of the business at the Board meetings. In arranging 

 the order of publication, provision has been made for the separation of the 

 prize reports from the premium lists and other official documents. All reports 

 of experiments will in future be brought out, if possible, within a year of the 

 award, the Directors having with this view extended the Transactions to 22 

 sheets of 16 pages, in place of between 18 and 20 sheets. Estimates for 

 printing the Transactions were taken in June last, and the tender of Messrs 

 JSTeill & Company, of Edinburgh, was accepted. Messrs William Blackwood 

 & Sons, Edinburgh, have again been named publishers, and non-members 

 will be supplied with copies on application to them. 



Improvement of Farm Buildings and Cottages. 



The Hon. G. Waldegrave Leslie, M.P., drew attention to this subject, 

 remarking that in consequence of the difficulties encountered in London in 

 getting loans from the Enclosure Commissioners for improvements in Scot- 

 land, and of parties being tied down to plans which might be very suitable 

 for England, but which were quite unsuited for Scotland, there had come to 

 be an almost total cessation of the demands for moneys under these Acts. He 

 had had the honour of bringing the subject before Parliament, and every one 

 agreed with him that in the office of the Enclosure Commissioners there was 

 great ignorance displayed as to the wants of Scotland, and that the conditions 

 insisted in were quite inapplicable to Scotland. He had had the honour of 

 being a director of the Cottage Improvement Association, and he found that 

 very few demands had gone up to the commissioners, owing to these great 

 impediments. He had spoken to the Lord Advocate on the subject, who, 

 without committing himself to anything, had expressed himself favourable to 

 the object of the resolution which he now begged to propose, namely — 



" That, inasmuch as the system of supervision of drainage and land im- 

 provements by local inspectors in Scotland, under the authority of the 

 Government Enclosure Commissioners, has been found to work in a 

 satisfactory manner, it is the opinion of the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society of Scotland that a like system of supervision as regards the plans 

 and erection of farm-buildings and cottages, under Improvement Acts, be 

 entrusted to the supervision of an architect in Scotland, to act under the 

 authority of the Government Enclosure Commissioners ; and that the 

 Bight Honourable the Lord Advocate be furnished with a copy of the 

 above resolution, and be requested to do his utmost to carry it into 

 effect." 

 Mr M'Lagan, M.P., seconded the motion. He said he had had the honour 

 of being a director of the Cottage Association, and brought the subject before 

 the meeting some time ago. The cottages which it was insisted should be 

 built in Scotland were similar to those in England, and differed so materially 

 from those required in Scotland, that it was found absurd to erect cottages 

 which would be very good for England, but were useless in this more 

 northern climate. He was most happy to second the motion, and he would 

 do all he could to support Mr Waldegrave Leslie here and in another place, if 

 he brought the proposal forward in the form of a bill. 

 The resolution was unanimously carried. 



Mr M'Lagan proposed a cordial vote of thanks to the noble Marquis for 

 presiding. They must all rejoice to find him again taking an active part 

 in the business of the Society, for which he was so well fitted by his 



