18 TKOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



and Carnegie ; Couucillors Martin and Galloway ; Mr A. Burns Macdonald, comnus- 

 sioner for Lord Kiniiaird ; Mr E. Dangertield, factor to the Earl of Mansfield ; Jlr R. 

 C. L. Blair, Perth ; Mr Hay, Victoria Auction Mart ; Mr Eraser, Perth Auction 

 Market. Banquet Comndttee— Marquis of Lothian, Duke of Athole, Lord Provost 

 Richardson (convener), Mr Stuart Gray of Gray and Kinfauns, Viscount Storniont, 

 Colonel Williamson of Lawers, Sir Alexander Muir Mackenzie, and Bailie AI 'Arthur. 

 Ball Committee — Lord Provost Richardson, convener ; Bailie Carnegie, Viscount Stor- 

 mont, Mr James Small of Dirnaneaii, Colonel Anstruther Thomson, Sir Alexander 

 Muir Mackenzie, Sir Thomas !Moncreifte, Mr Alexander Bethune of Blebo, Dean of 

 Guild Dewar, and Mr John Richmond, Dron. Forage Yard— Mr John Drummoud of 

 Blackruthven, Mr Thomas Ro.ss, Bachiltou ; Mr David Dow, Bahnanuo. Accommo- 

 dation of Strangers— Lord Provost and IMagistrates, and members of Town Committee. 

 Police Committee— The Lord Provost and Sir Alexander Muir Mackenzie, chairman of 

 the County Police Board. 



The different contracts have been for some time completed. The sliowyard is being 

 erected by Mr Matthew Richardson, Annan, on the western division of the South 

 Inch, which has, as on former occasions, been kindly granted for the purj^ose by the 

 Lord Provost and Magistrates of the city of Perth. The refreshments in the yard will 

 be purveyed by Mr Robert Wilson, confectioner, Perth ; Messrs Aitchison & Sons and 

 Mitchell; MrA M. Thiem, Windsor Hotel, and Mr John Warner, Edinburgh. The 

 contract for the supply of forage in the yard is in tlie hands of Mr W. S. Ferguson, 

 Friarton, Perth. The headquarters of the Society will, as formerly, be at the Royal 

 George Hotel. The judging of the stock will commence on Tuesday, 29th July, at 

 eleven o'clock, when the yard will be opened to the public. In accordance with a 

 desire strongly urged on the General Show Comndttee by a deputation from the 

 Scottish Agricultural Engineers' Association, at a meeting held on the 19th Fefiruary, 

 no money prizes or medals will be given for implements of any kind, and no inspection 

 of them by the judges will take place. The general meeting of the society will be held 

 in the yard on Wednesday, 30th July, at 1.30. On the evening of that day tlie Presi- 

 dent's dinner will take place ; and on the following evening the usual ball will be held. 

 Tickets have been sent to all memViers residing in the district connected with the show. 

 Memliers residing in other localities will be supplied on apjilication to the Secretary. 

 Further details will be contained in the programme, which will in due course be ad- 

 vertised. 



The report was approved of. 



Kelso Show, 1880.- Mr Menzies further reported that the arrangements for the 

 Kelso Show, 1880, were just in the same position as they generally were at this time, 

 and he need not trouble the meeting by going into details. 



The Society's Officks.— The Hon. George Waldegrave Leslie moved— " That it be 

 referred to the Hall and Chambers Committee to consider the nundjer of eligible 

 houses in Edinburgh now in the market, and to report upon any really suitable house 

 or houses for the offices of this Society, where also the Society's chemist may be able to 

 carry out analyses of manures, feeding stuffs, &c., for the benefit of members of the 

 Society, in the same manner as is now .so efficiently carried out by the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society of England. " In speaking to the motion the hon. gentleman stated that 

 he would alter it with the permission of the meeting, so that it should read that the 

 connnittee have power to j)urchase or feu. He did not bring the proposal forward on 

 behalf of the Directors. He had their permission to do so, but they woidd not be 

 committed by anything he had to say. The last time this was brought forward he was 

 one of those who ojiposed it, as he thought the time chosen for taking action in the 

 matter was inoiiportune. Now he thought the time was very opjiortune indeed. 

 Owing, unfortunately, to the depressed condition of trade, of manufactures, agricul- 

 ture, and other industries, as was too well known to the iniblic, there was now a vast 

 amount of house projierty in the market in Edinburgh, and, considering that there were 

 now very little short of 5000 members in the Society as compared with 4400 when this 

 motion was first brought before them, he thought the premises, with their long stair- 

 case, were scarcely suitable for overtaking all that he was sure every one in the room 

 would like to see done by the Society. The premises as a whole were very limited. 

 The Board-room was not very large, and its windows were tilled with obscured glass. 

 There was not room enough for the chemist carrying on any ])ractical analysis in the 

 laboratory in siich a way as was desirable for the future welfare of the farming interest 

 of this country. The Royal Agricultural Society of England had attached to their 

 jiremises in Hanover Square a large and cajjacions laboratory, where they maintained 

 Dr Voelcker and a large staff of assistants ; and the farmers, he was glad to say, had 

 to a great extent availed themselves of that accommodation, and benefited by it. 

 There was nobody who doubted that part of the distress prevailing at this time in 

 connection with the agricultural interest was owing to the want of proper analyses of 

 agricultural manures. They heard of a connnission of £1 per ton being given for 

 some of the manures hawked about in the market. If that were the case — if what 



