16 



engaged in agricultural, horticultural, pastoral, and other pursuits connected 

 with the culture of the soil. 



(li) To employ from time to time, with the approval of the governor in 

 council, persons competent to give instruction of a practical character in 

 matters appertaining to agricultural or horticultural science, and to arrange 

 for occasional lectures on subjects of interest to cultivators of the soil. 



(4) To furnish, under restrictions and regulations authorized by the council 

 and approved by the minister, analyses of soils and manures free of cost to 

 agriculturists. 



(5) To supply, under the direction of an expert, small parcels of seeds, 

 plants, trees, and manures for experimental purposes to such persons as are 

 willing to undertake the conduct of experiments in accordance with regulations 

 promulgated by the council. 



(6) To arrange for holding occasionally an agricultural congress, at which 

 the council and the boards of agriculture may be represented, for the purpose of 

 advancing generally the objects of the council. 



(7) To furnish annually to the minister, for presentation to Parliament, 

 a general report of the proceedings of the council, together with an audited 

 account of the receipts and expenditures for the year. 



In carrying out the provisions of the above act the members of the 

 council direct the expenditures voted by l*arliament in aid of ag-ri- 

 cukure, and also pass upon the (pialihcations of persons recommended 

 for membership in the various branches, receive reports of the pro- 

 ceedings of the meetings of the branch l)oards, and publish 

 r.bstracts of these reports iu the Monthly Agricultural Gazette, which 

 it edits and distributes free to the members of the various branches. 

 The board likewise has prepared froui time to time and publishes 

 circulars of information aiul ])amphlets upon agricultural subjects, 

 which it supplies to the membership free of cost. 



The council has now in its employ four persons whom it seuds 

 out to lecture before the branch meetings. One gives instruction 

 in dairy husbandry, one in poultry rearing, one is^an entomological 

 expert, and the fourth lectures upon agricultural chemistry. These 

 lecturers are employed by the year aud are paid by the State from 

 appropriations made for that i)urpose. 



In addition to the work of lecturing before the branch boards these 

 experts are sent to give advice to individual farmers whenever 

 requests are made which the cotmcil deems Avorthy of special atten- 

 tion. When visits of this character are made notice is usually pub- 

 lished in advance throughout the neighborhoods where the visits oc- 

 cur, and farmers from the surrounding country are invited to bo 

 present and witness whatever takes place. For some years a traveling 

 dairy school has been in operation, equipped and sent out under the 

 direction of the council. The conditions uj^on which a course of in- 

 struction in dairying is granted are the following: The committee 

 applying— 



must provide transportation of the plant from the nearest railroad station; 

 must furnish free a building at least 20 by l.j feet in which to work the sepa- 



