18 PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



Show, and for having occupied tiie chair at the President's dinner in the absence of His 

 Eoyal Highness the Prince of AVales. 2. That the thanks of the Society be given tO' 

 the Right Hon. the Earl of Aberdeen, Vice-President, for acting as croupier on the 

 same occasion. 3. That the thanlcs of the Society be given to the Commissioners of 

 Supi^ly for the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Forfar for the liberality with which 

 the Auxiliary Fund was provided. 4. That the thanks of the Society be given to 

 George Jamieson, Esq., Lord Provost, and the other civic authorities of Aberdeen, for 

 the aid afforded by them, and particularly for the free use of the Links for the purposes- 

 of the Show. 5. That the thanks of the Society be given to Alexander Forbes Irvine, 

 Esq., of Drum, Convener of the Local Committee elected by the counties of Aberdeen, 

 Banff, Kincardine, and Forfar, for his unsparing exertions, and to the individual mem- 

 bers of that committee for their judicious arrangements, contributing so effectually to- 

 the success of the meeting." 



The motion was unanimously agreed to. 



Edinburgh Show, 1877. — Mr Gillon said — I have next to report that the arrange- 

 ments for the Show to be held at Edinburgh are proceeding satisfactorily, and the 

 Directors entertain the hope that the meeting will he the greatest that has yet been, 

 held in Scotland, and that it will prove in every respect worthy of the city and the 

 important districts more immediately interested. The period fixed for the Show is from 

 Tuesday the 24th to Friday the 27th of Julj' next, both days inclusive. On this occa- 

 sion it is proposed that the yard should be opened on the first day to the public at 

 eleven in place of one o'clock. The Directors have applied to the Town Council of 

 Edinburgh for permission to hold the Show on the West Meadow, The application, 

 has been remitted by the Coimcil to the Lord Provost's Committee, with powers. At 

 the last Edinburgh Show, in 1869, the sum offered in premiums was L.1660. This year 

 the list is the largest that has ever been given by the Society, amounting to L.2714, 

 comprising L. 935 for cattle, L.791 for horses, L.438 for sheep, L. 15 for best-woolled tup.s: 

 of the Cheviot blackfaced, and Leicester breed (the premium for the best-woolled tups 

 is a new feature at our Shows, and was introduced on the suggestion of the late 

 Marquis of Tweeddale), L.93 for swine, L.138 for poultry, and the usual medium gold 

 medals to former prize animals. The charge for stall rent is under the consideration of 

 the Board, and will be fixed when the rates of the contract for the erection of the show- 

 are kno^^•n. In regard to the Implement Department, I may state that money premiums- 

 and medals are restricted to new inventions or improvements on implements of agri- 

 culture, horticulture, and forestry. That collections of articles, not agricultural, will 

 be received for exhibition, but the Secretary is empowered to refuse entries from dealers 

 in articles not deemed worthy of exhibition. The regulations for stock bear that the 

 name of the breeder, if known, must be given ; and if the breeder is not kno-\\Ti, a 

 declaration to that effect, signed by the exhibitor, must be sent along with the schedule, 

 and no pedigree will be entered in the catalogue when the breeder is unknoAvn, Mr 

 Dundas of Arniston has been chosen Convener of Local Committee. The competition 

 for the premium of £50 offered for the best thoroughbred stallion to serve in the three 

 Lothians has been fixed to be held at Edinburgh on Wednesday the 14th of March. 

 Entries for this exhibition must be made with the Secretarj^, and will close on the 10th 

 of March, 



Dumfries Show, 1878. — Mr Gillon said — I have finally to report that during the 

 autumn of last year the Directors received requisitions, influentially and numerously 

 signed by the proprietors, tenants, and others connected with Dumfriesshire, the 

 stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and Wigtownshire, to hold the Show for 1878 at Dumfries. 

 The Board approving of the same, the preparatory stej^s of arranging the classes of 

 stock, for which premiums will be afterwards be offered, and of submitting them to a 

 7neeting of members held at Dumfries on the 20th of December last, have been carried 

 out. From the cordial way in which the gentlemen connected with the district have 

 taken the matter up, I have no doubt that everything will be done to ensure the same 

 .success which attended the last meeting held at Dumfries. I have only further to 

 submit the classes of stock as adjusted by the Board, and to move that the meeting 

 approve of the Show being held at Dumfries in 1878, and that the Directors be em- 

 owered to make the usual arrangements. 



The motion was agreed to. 

 ' District Competitions. — Mr Campbell Swinton of Kimmerghame said— I have to 

 submit to the Meeting the report on the district competitions, which shows that the 

 Society's money premiums or medals have been in operation in 281 districts during the 

 past year — viz., stock, 32 ; special grants, 6 ; minor premiums and medals, 55 ; plough- 

 ing competitions, 188. The arrangements made for the current year embrace the 

 usual premiums to 36 districts for stock, 5 special grants, minor premiums and medals 

 to 53 districts, besides the plough medal, which is given under certain conditions with- 

 out previous application. As the details, both of the premiums awarded and of those 

 offered, will appear in the'forthcoming volume of the Society's "Transactions," I need 

 only occupy the time of the meeting by moving the approval of the report. 



