rUOCEKliINGS AT ]5uAi;i) .MKKTLNGS. 13 



witli tliu following additions iiiid alterations ; — 1. That there should lie family prizes 

 ill tlic Ayrshire in place of the Shorthorn breed, the family to consist of a cow of any 

 age and three or more of her descendants, male or female. 2. That tliere should be 

 three sections for bulls of the Highland breed as formerly, '.i. That there should be 

 family jirizes in the Blackfaced in place of the Border Leicester breed, the family to 

 consist of one aged tup, two ewes, two shearlings, and two laml)s. The ewe.s to have 

 lambs in .season 1S81, and all bred by e.xhibitor except the aged tu]). 4. That the 

 number of ewes, gimmers, wethers, and hoggs be e.xhil)ited in ])ens of tliree in jilace 

 of live as heretofore. 5. That in jdace of premiums for wool, the offer should be for 

 the best woolled tups of the Blacicfaced, Cheviot, ami Leicester lireeds. The report 

 was ajiju-oved, and will be laid before a meeting of members to be held in the Golden 

 Lion Hotel, Stirling, on Friday the 19tli current, at one o'clock. 



TiiA.NSACTiON.s oi' TUK SOCIETY. — The report by the Special Committee on the mode 

 of procuring pa])ers for publication in the " Transactions " of tlie Society was submitted. 



DisTiiic'T CuMPKTiTioxs, &c. — The reports by the Committees on District Shows 

 and on Cottages, detailing the awards at the various competitions held <luring 1879, 

 ami suggesting the districts for 1880, were submitted and approved of. The following 

 new rules were also ailojited : — (1.) The jiremiums are open to general competition to 

 all within the boundaries of the district of the local Society ; (2.) The .silver medals for 

 bulls, tups, or boars are open only to first prize- animals at former District or General 

 Shows. 



MEETING OF DIRECTORS, 7th JANUARY ISSO, 



Present — Marquis of Lothian, K.T., President; Hon. George Waldegrave Leslie; 

 Sir James R. Gibson Maitland of Clifton Hall, Bart.; Mr Dickson of Corstorphine ; 

 Mr Dingwall, Ramornie ; Mr Dundas of Aruiston ; Mr Gillon of Wallhouse ; Mr 

 Hope, Duddiugston ; Mr Kennedy of Sunday well, Brandleys ; Mr Mackenzie of 

 Portmore ; Mr John Ord Mackenzie of Dolphinton ; Mr Mylne, Niddrie jMains ; Mr 

 Oswald of Dunnikier ; Mr Ralston, Glamis House ; Mr Smith, Stevenson Mains ; 

 Mr Smitli, Whittinghame ; Mr Walker of Rowland, C.B. ; Professor Wilson; Dr 

 Aitkeu — The Marquis of Lothian, and afterwards Mr Gillon of Wallhouse, in the 

 chair. 



Mr F. N. Menzies reported apologie.s for the absence of Lord Polwarth, Jlr 

 Graham Binny, W.S. ; Mr Irvine of Drum; Mr Whyte Melville of Beuuochy ; Mr 

 Murray of Dollerie ; and Mr Ritchie of Middleton. 



Office-Bearkrs. — The Secretary rejjorted that the names of the noblemen and 

 gentlemen lo be proposed by the Directors at the general meeting on the 21st current 

 to fill the ^•acancies in the list of office-bearers for 1880 had been published in terms 

 of the l)ye-laws. 



General Meeting.— The programme of business for the anniversary general meet- 

 ing on the 21st was an-anged. 



New Members. — The list of candidates for admission as members was submitted, 

 and the Secretary stated that additional names could be received up till the morning 

 of the 21st. 



Finance. — A .state of tlie funds of the Society at 30th November 1879, and abstracts 

 of the accounts for 1878-79, signed by Mr Walker of Rowland, C.B., Treasurer, and 

 Mr Murray of Dollerie, Convener of the Finance Committee, and by Messrs Mackenzie 

 and Smitli, C.A., the Society's Auditors, were submitted, in terms of the bye-laws. 



Chemical Department. — The resolution at the general meeting held at Perth — 

 " That the Society subsidise their chemist, so that he would be able to give the 

 members analyses at the same rates as local associations do ' — was referred by the 

 Directors to the Committee on the Chemical Department and on Finance, witii the 

 addition of Mr W. P. Hope, Leith, the mover of the resolution. The committee held 

 its tir-st meeting on the 12th November. In the absence of Mr Hope they found it 

 difficult to arrive at any definite issue, on account of the wording of the motion not 

 being sulficieutly explicit. They discussed at some length the advantages enjoyed by 

 the members of local associations, and found that the financial basis of such associa- 

 tions was usually of such a kind that each member paid annually into a common 

 fund a certain small sum per 100 acres of his farm. A certain part of that fund was 

 set aside to pay for analyses. That the sum paid to a chemist was a matter for 

 arrangement between the association and the chemist, but probably it differed very 

 slightly if at all from that charged liy the Society's chemist. As, however, many 

 members did not send in samples for analysis, those who did were able to get one or 

 more analyses performed without any further or special payment. There was no 



