PEOCEEDINGS AT GENEEAL MEETINGS. 21 



Dr Dewar, and he asked Tvliether during the last two years they rendered any service 

 to the Society at all. Mr Lawes of Rothamstead, instead of employing a chemist to 

 manage his experimental farm, which was the best of the kind in the country, em- 

 ployed an intelligent practical agriculturist, and when chemical analysis was required 

 application was made to a chemist. At Cirencester the same plan was followed. As 

 he understood, however, the proposal that the Society should have a practical agricul- 

 turist had been dropped. It was proposed instead that the stations to be established 

 should be under the charge of a chemist ; and he wanted to know how that chemist was 

 to be paid and the other expenses of the stations met out of the £500 available for the 

 undertaking. He wished that the Directors should give the Society a fuller and more 

 distinct report. 



Mr Charles Dctxcax, Rothesay, thought that as the whole scheme was an experi- 

 ment, they should give the Directors justice, and an opportunity of carrying out their 

 intentions for two or three years, after which they should see the result. 



Mr Wilson, Edington Mains, said he should have no objection whatever to a tenta- 

 tive trial ; but the question was, whether they should again appoint a chemist, with a 

 fixed salary, as a permanent officer of the Society. 



Mr Mackenzie said that the appointment of a chemist was to be merely for a 

 limited period, and as an experiment. 



Mr Milne Hume — What salary ? 



Mr Mackenzie said the Conimittee were not bound to give the £300, if they could 

 get the work done for less. Mr Milne Home was himself a member of the Committee, 

 and under his supervision they might rest assured they would not give more than was 

 necessary. 



Mr Wilson said there was a want of information in the report. If the scheme was 

 merely tentative, and the Directors would in a year or two bring the matter again be- 

 fore the Society, he had not the smallest objection to offer to the proposal. 



Mr Mackenzie said that there Avas not the slightest wish on the part of the Commit- 

 tee to withhold information ; but they could not tell what the chemist's salary would 

 be till they made arrangements with the man. The Society might rest assured they 

 would do notliing rash. Their whole object was to produce a result worthy of the 

 Society and of the funds entrusted to them. 



Mr Milne Home said that there had been no arrangements made for securing land 

 for any station whatever, and therefore he did not think the time had yet come for ap- 

 pointing a chemi.st. 



Mr Bethune of Blebo said he was not afraid that the Committee would do anything 

 rash ; he was afraid that they would do nothing at all. 



The Noble Chairm.\n said he thought that after the discussion which had taken 

 place it might be safely left to the Committee and the Directors to carry out the pro- 

 posal. 



The report was then adopted. ..-y~— . 



Agricultural Education.— Professor Wilson reported that Mr Robert Lyall, 

 Catchery, Watten, Caithnes.s, and Mr William Reekie, Walton, Auchtertool, Fife, had 

 jjassed for a bursary of L.20 each, and that Mr D. G. Braidwood, Parduviue, Lasswade, 

 Mid- Lothian, for one of L.20. 



The Education Board.— Mr Wilson, Edington Mains, said it was known to every 

 one present that there was prevailing all over Scotland a strong and growing convic- 

 tion that the Scotch Board of Education .should be put on a permanent footing, and its 

 powers enlarged; and he wished to ask whether it might not be well for the b)rectoi"s 

 of the Highland Society to consider the expediency of concurring with other public 

 bodies who were moving in this matter, in which they were all interested. 



The Noble Chairman sai<l there was no doubt that the question was of the greatest 

 possiltle interest ; but he felt some difliculty as to the course which should be followe<l, 

 as he thought it was scjircely within the scope of the Society's functions to memorialise 

 Govenm)ent in reference to the sultject. 



Mr Mn.NE Ho.me said that the Society had a charter enabling them to ]iromoto the 

 cause of echication, and they spent a great deal of money on instruction giviu in ele- 

 mentary schools. They voted L.'iSO a year to young men coining from elementary 

 schools to the Scottish Universities, and so far, he thought, that might give theiu 

 power to entertain the riutstion. He did not say the Directors shouM take up the 

 matter now liefore tliem in the way other Ixtdies were «loing, but it might be well that 

 they should l)t* allowud to consider it as one of great public importance, and Uikc what 

 8tej)s tliey thought neces.sary. 



The Duke of Bucclkuch said tliere was no doubt that the Society was very much 

 intere.sted in tin- »'<lucation that was alford'd in the elementaiy -^ ' ' He cpute 

 agreed that the Education Board of Scotland should be niaile imi' , ut and jht- 



nianent. A great deal of very u.sefid information might be ininarted to children in the 

 ))aro(hial schools ; but he was afrai<l tlu-se schools were fast drifting into merely ele- 

 mentary educati.>n, or what was coiunionly calh-d the tliree H's. So long as the greatest 



