86 PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



entitled. In some instances, manure said to consist of dissolved bones was almost 

 entirely formed of coprolites and other mineral matters, and in many cases these 

 manures were sold at prices nearly double their intrinsic value. He had also had 

 occasion to examine a very large number of oil-cakes, and here adulteration was 

 carried on to an extraordinary extent. Although it was a mere guess on his part, 

 he would say that there were thousands of tons of oil-cake sold in Scotland during 

 the past six months mixed with bran, cotton-seed, and other substances. _ In 

 one case the adulteration went so far that he might almost say that the justifica- 

 tion for the name of "linseed cake " lay only in this, that a little of that material 

 had been put among the other substances. These adulterations were done so 

 artistically that they deceived the eye, and the article appeared to be the genuine 

 oil-cake, so that, unless care was taken, the adulterations might escape notice. 

 The whole of the field experiments had been arranged for this season. Certain of 

 the experiments of last year were to be repeated, while a series of other experiments 

 on a large scale had been commenced. The manures were to be of the kinds most 

 commonly used, such as farm-yard manure, Peruvian guano, and so forth. He 

 thought that the result of these experiments would be of great importance to the 

 farmer. 



Mr Harvey, "VVhittinghani Mains, said he still thought, as he thought a few 

 years ago, that there should be a chemical department in Edinburgh. Glasgow 

 was renowned for commerce, but not for agriculture. The eastern part of Scot- 

 land had by far a greater interest in agriculture than the west ; and he thought 

 that the present arrangement was very inconvenient for the farmers in this dis- 

 trict. With regard to the adulterations mentioned by Dr Anderson, he wished to 

 know whether something could not be done to check such a system, by advertis- 

 ing the firms who sold adulterated material. He knew there was a difficulty in 

 regard to pouncing upon firms selling adulterated manure, but it was a system 

 by which the farmers suffered very greatly, and it ought to be inquired into. He 

 thought that the chemical department of the Society was not in that satisfactory 

 position that the farmers of Scotland were entitled to expect. He was of opinion 

 that they ought to have a model farm connected with the Society, as there was 

 nothing like seeing practical work. He had no great faith in farmers carrying 

 out these experiments, as they were often transferred to a substitute. He would 

 mention a case in point. Two most re spectable farmers in the county of Rox- 

 urgh on a recent occasion undertook the experiments, and what was the result ? 

 A drain had burst in both experiments, and no practical result was arrived at. A 

 model farm, in his opinion, came nearer the mark, as in that case a person would 

 be appointed of undoubted integrity to see that every pound and ounce of the 

 produce raised would be weighed thoroughly out, and a greater power and a 

 greater force would be connected with these experiments. He was aware that 

 there was some difficulty with an experimental farm — it would cost money — at 

 the same time, to gain the confidence of the farmers of Scotland perhaps it would 

 be the best plan that could be devised. 



Dr Anderson said that it was true, as Mr Harvey had stated, that the greater 

 part of the analyses came from the eastern districts of Scotland. He very much 

 feared that in some parts of the west agriculture was not so much advanced as to 

 induce the farmers to take advantage of what the railways could do. The best 

 mode of putting a stop to adulteration was a question of very great difficulty. He 

 feared that it would be rather a dangerous proceeding to venture upon advertising 

 the names of adulterating dealers ; at least, if such a thing were done, he certainly 

 hoped the Society would take any responsibility in the matter off his shoulders. 

 As far as model farms were concerned, there was no doubt that a great deal of 

 important information could be got from such farms if they could be got up. The 

 difficulty in that matter was chiefly a pecuniary one. A model farm could not 

 be carried on at a profit ; it had been invariably found that such a farm must be 

 carried on at a loss, and the whole question would be how to obtain the pecuniary 

 means to carry on such a farm, which would certainly not be small, when it was 

 taken into account that the researches of Mr Lawes cost him L.2000 a-year. 

 These were experiments, no doubt, on an extensive scale ; but that gave some 

 idea of the cost of these experiments, and Mr Lawes certainly carried on his 

 experiments in a very economical manner. 



Mr Milne Home said that, in regard to the suggestion of a model farm, that 

 matter was brought before the Directors at one time by the late Mr Finnie of 



