niOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 87 



they should considii- well liflore tliey witliilicw mkIi ;ui attraction. They ought to 

 renic'iulier also that this was a <lei)arliiiciit nl tlu; f-iiow in which the jioor man could 

 take ]iart. He moved the previous question. 



Sir \Vn.i.lA.\[ FounKs of (.'raigievar secomled the aniendinciit. 



Mr El, I. KIT, yr. of Wolfelec; tlioufj;lit that the jiroposal liy Mi- Leslie would have a 

 eudency to confine the show too much to the l'Minl)urf,di district, anil stejis might be 

 taken to jiromote the exhiliitions of poultry in the ditl'erent districts where the summer 

 shows of the Society were held. 



The uolde (Ihaik.man said he himself was inclined to he in favour of the interests ol 

 the hulies and the ]ioor exhibitors, lie wished all success to the IMinlnirgh Christmas 

 Clul) Show, but they must first consider the interests of the Highland Society, and 

 it would be a pity to cut off anything that createil an interest in the Society. They 

 did not know how much the interests of the Society might be promoted by the wives 

 who took a sjiecial interest in the exhibition of poultry. Perhaps many exhibitors 

 would not be there at all if they had not their wives to back them u]). 



On a division, the amendment (the previous question) was carried by a large majority. 



The (.'hkmic.vi, Dei'.vutiiknt. — Mr Mackkn/.iI': of I'ortmore, convener of the Com- 

 mittee on the Chenucal Department, said — 1 have to report that the ex])erimental 

 stations are being dealt with in a successful manner, and that a report upon the results 

 obtained this year will be submitted to you liy l)r Ailken, the Society's chenust. I 

 have also to report that Dr Aitkeu gave public demonstrations ujion the scheme ol 

 cultivation at the station at Pumpherston early in September, which were well attended, 

 and gave much satisfaction. 1 have the pleasure to report that a course of lectures 

 upon fodder and animal nutrition has been given by the chemist in this hall, and which 

 has been attended by from eighty to a hundred gentlemen. The resolution which was 

 pas.sed at the general meeting at Perth to the effect "that the Society subsidise their 

 chemist so that he would be a1)le to give the members analyses at the same rates as 

 local associations do," was referred by the directors at the first meeting held subse- 

 quent to the Perth Show to a connuittee composed of the committees on the Chemical 

 Department and on Finance, with the addition of Mr W. P. Hope, Leith, the mover of 

 the resolution. This committee has held several meetings, at which the constitution and 

 financial arrangements of local analytical associations, and the advantages enjoyed by 

 their members in regard to analyses have been the suljject of inquiry and discussion, 

 and at which also it has been discussed how the instructions of the Society can best be 

 carried into jiractical eflect : and they were aided in this direction by an explanation 

 afforded Ijy Mr W. P. Hope of the meaning which he attached to the somewhat general 

 wording of the resolution. Eventually the committee, after very careful consideration 

 of the matter in all its bearings, resolved to recommend to the directors to place the 

 following jiroposals before this general meeting, not as emanating from themselves, but 

 simply as what apjiears to them to be the most practical method of carrying into effect 

 the resolution of the general meeting at Perth : — "That the motion carried at the 

 general meeting may be held as rescinding any undei'standing which previou.sly 

 existed that no part of the Society's funds should be apiiropriated for the cheapening 

 of analyses to members. That the most simple method of giving effect to the motion is 

 to diminish the charges to members for analyses of manures and feeding stuffs, by say 

 one-half, the other half of the fee being made chargeable on the Society's funds. That 

 the amount of money so expended for any member shall not exceed 10s. annually. 

 That the arrangement be made subject to there being sufficient funds at the diposal of 

 the directors for the ]iuri)Ose.'' The directors ajijirovcd of the proceedings of the 

 committee, and in accordance with their instructions this report is made to the 

 meeting. 



Mr Scott Dtugkon, Longnewton, said he was strongly of ojiinion that the Highland 

 and Agricultural Society was making a mistake in attenqiting to devise means whereby 

 they would come into comjietition with local analytical associations, and militate 

 against their usefulness. The benefits which had accrued to agriculture by the ojiera- 

 tion of these local associations were not sulliciently apjireciated by farmers' associa- 

 tions, and were almost totally ignored by the proprietors. He believed that there 

 existed at least as many as twenty-four of these local associations, there might be 

 more, scattered over the length and breadth of Scotland, and through their agency no 

 fewer than 700 analyses of manures and feeding stuffs were annually effected. These 

 manures and feeding stuffs were not oidy analysed, but the names and addresses of 

 sellers and buyers, the price charged for the manures, and guarantees given, as well as 

 the results, were circulated in different localities amongst the members. He thought 

 that these things should be considered well before the Society took any action what- 

 ever, and interfered with or checked the good work that was being done liy the local 

 associations. It was only within the last eight or ten years that the farmers had 

 become impressed with the value of these associations, which, if left alone, would 

 spread and extend their benefits more and more. No better testimony could be fur- 

 nished to their efficiency in any locality than the increasing rapidity with which each 



