PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 25 



Society's Certificates. They ventured to suggest that the following committee be 

 appointed : — Lord Lovat ; Sir Robert Menzies, Bart. ; Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart. ; 

 Dr Cleghorn : Professor Dickson; Mr "W. .T. Maxwell; Dr Aitken ; Mr John 

 Macgregor ; Mr John M. Aitken ; Mr .John Methven ; Mr Robert Lindsay, Edinburgh 

 Botanic Garden. Sir Robert then reported that the forestry examinations were 

 held on the same days as those under the Educational Charter, when a first-class 

 certificate was awarded to Mr John Bardgett, Sockbridge Mill, Tirril, Penrith, he 

 having satisfied the examiners in all the required subjects. 

 The report was adopted. 



Chemical Department and Experimental Station. 



Dr Aitken, the chemist, gave in the following report : — I have to report that the 

 two experimental stations are now under barley, and that the circumstances in which 

 the crops are being grown resemble those which were arranged for the grass crops 

 lasu year. At Harelaw, the lower half of each plot has been manured in the same 

 manner as heretofore, while the upper half has again been sown without manure. 

 The object of this method of treatment is to discover what is the amount of 

 unexhausted fertility remaining in the soil, and derived from the large quantities of 

 light manures applied in former years. The crop was put iu excellent order, and 

 notes are being taken of its progress. There are marked differences already 

 observable over the station, and it bids fair to form a very instructive picture two 

 months hence. At Pumpherston, the barley crop has been sown out with a carefully- 

 selected mixture of seeds, consisting chiefly of the natural grasses intended for 

 permanent pasture. Xo manures whatever have been applied to the barley crop, so 

 that at this station also there will be an opportunity of observing the relative 

 amounts of fertility due to former manurings. I look forward with great interest to 

 the lessons which will be taught by the grass crops on this station. The jiroper 

 manurial treatment of grass is a matter of increasing importance in these times, and 

 the plots of what may be termed pedigree land at Pumpherston possess advantages 

 for such an investigation that are not to be found anywhere else in Scotland. 



Botanical Departjient. 

 Mr M 'Alpine, the botanist, reported that during the past season he had examined 

 over 100 samples of seed, most of which were very pure and clean. The germination 

 had been somewhat interfered with at the beginning of tlie season by attacks of 

 fungi, but, by alterations in the germinating case, he had almost entirely prevented 

 the outbreaks. The following figures gave the extreme percentages of germination 

 observed in the samples analysed : — Meadow fescue, 100 to 98 per cent. ; foxtail, 75 

 to 30 ; Italian grasses, 95 to SO ; perennial grasses, 96 to 80 ; crested dog's tail, 98 to 

 75; timothy, 100 to 95; sweet vernal, fO to 40; cocksfoots, 98 to 55; clovers, 

 cowgrass, 99 — none below 90 ; white clover, 90 to 80 ; alsike, 95 to SO ; rape, 100. 

 Poas germinated very badly, and all the percentages were low. 



l\h James Robertson (Newhouse) said he wished to draw attention to the large 

 amount the Society paid in connection with chemistry. They were charged a guinea 

 for analysis. He thought it would be perfectly reasonable if they were charged only 

 half-a-guinea ; and that the chemist would be well paid. He thought it would be 

 very advantageous if they had the opportunity on more reasonable terms of getting 

 analysis. The Society would thereby be giving a boon to its members in a higher 

 ratio than they were now getting in other ways. He urged on the Directors the 

 propriety of considering the question of reducing the charge for analysis. 



The Chairman said he had no doubt that the Directors would take the matter into 

 consideration. 



TR.A.NSACTrONS. 



Mr Irvine of Drum laid on the table Volume XIX. (Fourth Series) of the 

 Transactions. 



Horse-Breeding. 



Mr Mackenzie, yr. of Kintail , reported that the following petition by the Society 

 had been presented to the House of Lords by the Right Hon. Lord Ribblesdale :— 



"Unto the Right Hon. the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of 

 Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled, the Memorial of the 

 Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, incorporated by Royal Charter, 



"Sheweth — That on the 7th of March last, the attention of your Lordships was 

 ailed by the Right Hon. Lord Ribblesdale to the question of horse breeding and 

 supply for military and industrial purposes in this country. 



"That this Society takes a deep interest in all that can benefit agriculture, and in 

 these depressed times it would be of very great importance to stimulate the breeding 

 of good half-bred horses. 



