24 PEOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



uudevgolng the usual examinatiou. It is, however, necessary for persons holding the 

 tliploma to make application to the Department before commencing teaching, in ac- 

 cordance with section 35 of the Science Directory. 



Vetebinary Department. — Mr Mtlxe, Niddrie ;Mains, in the absence of Mr 

 Gillon of WaUhouse, said — I have to report that the annual examination for the 

 Society's veterinary certificate took place on the 7th and 8th April, when six students 

 presented themselves for the final examination, and the whole passed. The preliminary 

 examinatiou of younger students was held at the same time, when 21 entered their 

 names, and 14 passed. 



Tr.vnsactions. — Mr Irvine of Drum laid on the table vol. xi. (fourth series of the 

 Transactions). 



A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. 



GENKRAL MEETING AT PERTH, 30th J ULY 1879. 



In accordance with a resolution passed at the annual general meeting of the Society 

 held in Edinburgh in the mouth of January last, a general meeting of members was 

 held in the Committee Room in the showyard at half-past one o'clock. There was a 

 large attendance, from 250 to 300 being present ; and the Most Noble the Marquis of 

 Lothian, K. T. , president of the society, occupied the chair. 



Supporting Schemes FOR Increased Production. — The first motion on the pro- 

 gramme was one by Mr Chalmers, Shielhill, which ran as follows : — " That any 

 scheme which is likely to lead the way towards getting increased productions by im- 

 proved systems of farming, combined \\'ith the breeding of stocks, and general farm 

 management, ought to be encouraged and liberally supported by the tunds of the 

 Highland Society." Mr Chalmers, however, was unable to be present through the 

 death of a relative, and the motion therefore fell to the ground. 



Chemical Department.— Mr Hope, Leith, moved — " That the Society subsidise 

 their chemist, so that he should be able to give members analyses at the same rates 

 as local associations do. " There were one or two points which he would like to speak 

 to. The first was, that if it was true, and he supposed there were few but would 

 admit, that fanners at the present day were spending at least one rent, if not nearly 

 two, upon the purchase of fertilising and feeding stuffs, it appeared to him that this 

 association, in such times of depression and trial for farmers could not expend their 

 funds in a more legitimate way, and one more likely to be acceptable to farmers and 

 landlords in general, as ia subsidising their chemist, so as to enable him to make 

 analyses in a systematic, correct, and uniform way, which v/ould not cost the members 

 of the Society "more than half what was at present paid to otlier local societies. The 

 loss incurred annually by farmers in farming upon what might be called the rule of 

 thumb system was too well known to render it necessary that he should speak to it, 

 and he would only refer to the experiments which had been lately begun in England 

 and Scotland. Tliough many of them were yet very young, they had told them in a 

 very startling way that farmers, while buying good manures and good feeding stufts, 

 might all the time be losing their money liy misapplication of manures to soils with- 

 out their kno-wing which luamires to apply and which to uphold. He did not limit 

 this motion merely to what farmers bought, but thought it might be prospectively 

 applied to what they sold as well. Every farmer kr.ev>r the ditterence between the 

 value of a ton of hay well gi-own and properly manured, and a ton of hay ill grown 

 and improperly manured. They had all heard of American adulteration of flour 

 with plaster of Paris and bone meal and every other abomination ; and he thought the 

 farmers on this side of the Atlantic would do well to consider whether it would not be 

 worth their whUe to see the real value of their produce as compared with American. 

 In the mi.tter of cheese and butter a great deal might be got out of a movement of this 

 kind. There was another difliculty which the farmers had to contend with — namelj'. 

 the understanding of analyses as they were presented to them at the present time. 

 There were scarcely two chemists who made an analysis on the same principle, and as 

 few who stated them ia the same way ; and he did not wonder that farmers should 

 ignore the utility of analyses. He confessed it puzzled hira to understand analyses, 

 although he had them in his hands every day or two, especially when he got them from 

 two difterent chemists. He believed this movement would have the eifect of bringing 

 chemists to see the necessity of making their analyses upon a uniform system, and in 

 stating them in the same way. . Another eftect would he that they would have more 

 confidence imported into the use of analyses. It was of very great moment that they 

 should have analy3.es not only understood, but looked to as the main guide to the 

 farmers' operations. He believed the effects of the present depression would be 

 very materially lessened if farmers in the future trusted much more to a scientific 

 management of their farms, and less to a rule of thumb system. They were for- 

 tunate in having a chemist connected ^vith this association who was a man perfectly 



