THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



51 



I860, accoidiug to the quadrennial system which came iuto 

 operation last year, will contain Classes for Thrashing Ma- 

 chines, Chaff-cutters, Mills, Crushers, Oilcake Breakers, Bone 

 Mills, Turnip-cutters, &c.; and to these the Council have 

 added additional Classes for the application of Steam-power 

 to the Cultivation of the Soil, for Hand Tools used in Hop 

 Grounds and Land Tillage, and for Field Gates. 



The Local Committee at Canterbury having expressed their 

 wish to offer certain Local Prizes, the Council have determined 

 to accept those for Hops and Wool, to be competed for under 

 such conditions as the Council may determine. 



The foUowiug schedule of prizes for essays and reports to 

 be sent to the Secretary by the Ist March uext, has been 

 adopted : 



L Agriculture of Berkshire. 



Fifty sovereigns for the beat report on the agriculture of 

 Berkshire, 



ir. Application op Manure. 



Ta^enty sovereigns for an approved Essay on the best period 

 of the rotation, and the best time of year for applying the 

 manure of the farm. 



HI. Influence op Prices on Farm Management. 



Ten sovereigns for the beat Essay on the alterations rendered 

 advisable in the management of land of different qualities, by 

 low prices of grain and high prices of meat. 



IV. Late Improvements in Dairy Practice. 

 Ten sovereigns for the best Essay on recent improvements 



in dairy practice. 



V. The Proper Ofpice op Straw on a Farm. 

 Ten sovereigns for the best Essay on the proper office of 



straw on the farm. 



VI. Farm Capital, 



Ten sovereigns for the best Essay on the amount of capital 

 required for the profitable occupation of a farm. 



Vll. Seed Bed for Agricultural Crops. 



Ten sovereigns for the best Essay on the conditions of aeed- 

 bed best suited to the various agricultural crops. 

 VIII. Adulteration of Seeds. 



Ten sovereigns for the best Essay on the adulteration of 

 agricultural seeds. 



IX. Any other Agricultural Subject. 



Ten sovereigns for the best Essay on any other agricultural 

 subject. 



A reprint has been made of Dr. Lang's Prize* Essay on 

 the potato. This can now be purchased at a reduced rate. 



The society have from time to time been favoured, by order 

 of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with copies of 

 despatches received by Her Majesty's Government relative to 

 guano and mineral deposits. Extracts from these communi- 

 cations have appeared in the published reports of the Council 

 meetings, before which they were laid. 



The Council have the satisfaction of recording their belief 

 that the society is steadily progressing, and that by adopting 

 such improvements in its proceedings as experience may from 

 time to time show to be necessary, it will continue to maintain 

 its important position in promoting the advancement of scien- 

 tific and practical agriculture. By order of the Council, 

 B, T. Brandreth Gibes, Hon. Secretary. 



Mr. H. Corbet not being a member of the 

 Council, rose to move the adoption of the report which 

 had just been read, but he was sorry that that duty had 

 not fallen into the hands of some one better fitted to 

 perform it. He considered the report the most import- 

 ant one, on the whole, that had ever been presented to 

 the Society. It went far beyond the usual Royal Speech 

 kind of model, which said a great deal and meant 

 very little. There was a great deal of information 

 in this which the general body of members had been 

 waiting for very anxiously. As regarded one very im- 

 portant feature, the question would naturally arise in 

 the mind of every member about to read the report, 

 whether there would be sufficient security in future for 

 the safety of the money which passed through the hands 

 of the Society and its officers ? Whether it origi- 

 nated with the Auditors, with the Finance Committee, 

 or with the Council generally, he was sure it would be 

 satisfactory to all to find that henceforth the ser- 

 vices of a professional accountant were to be en- 



gaged. Perhaps it was desirable that he should thus 

 refer to the most unpleasant subject before them first of 

 all. With regard to the rest of the report, he would 

 observe, that it contained information which would be 

 gratefully received, especially in reference to certain 

 alterations and additions to the business of the Show 

 week, about which there had been a good deal of conver- 

 sation in the yard and elsewhere. He could not refrain 

 from saying one or two words in reference to the office of 

 Secretary. By the discharge of the duties of that post 

 gratuitously for several months past, Mr. Gibbs had, to 

 a considerable extent, diminished the loss previously 

 occasioned ; and he was sure he only echoed the feeling 

 of the members generally, when he said that the Society 

 was very deeply indebted to that gentleman for his ser- 

 vices (cheers). He would suggest that the new Secre- 

 tary might do well to take a hint or two from that won- 

 derful ''organ of order" which, spoken to at the recent 

 dinner of the Smithfield Club, as so remarkably dis- 

 tinguishing Mr. Gibbs. During the present week he 

 appeared to have almost achieved the impossible feat 

 attributed to a celebrated Irish bird, of being in two 

 places at one and the same time, having attended almost 

 simultaneously to his ordinary duties as Honorary 

 Secretary of the Smithfield Club, and to his extraordi- 

 nary duties as temporary Secretary of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society (cheers) . 



Mr. Joseph Druce seconded the motion, which 

 was carried unanimously. 



Mr. Raymond Barker, Chairman of the Finance 

 Committee, presented the balance sheet, signed by the 

 auditors, which was as follows : 



ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 



Half- Yearly Account, extending from the 1st of 



January, to the 30th of June, 1859. 



Receipts. 



Balance in the hands of the Bankers, Dec. 31, 



1858 



Petty Cash Balance in the hands of the Secre- 

 tary, Dec. 31, 1858 .... 

 Dividends on Stock . . . • 

 Governors' Annual Subscriptions 

 Members' Life-Compositions 

 Members' Annual Subscriptions 



Journal Receipts 



Country-Meeting Receipts :— . . 



£ 

 649 



S3 

 146 

 385 

 233 



1790 

 193 



2144 



11 6 



15 

 17 

 

 

 2 

 7 

 6 



Payments. 

 Permanent Charges .... 



Tttxes and Rates 



Establishment 



Postage and Carriage .... 



Advertisements 



Journal Payments .... 



Veterinary Grant 



Chemical Grant 



Country Meeting Payments : — 



Chester 



Warwick 



Subscription (paid in error by Bankers) returned 

 Sundry items of Petty Cash .... 

 Petty Cash in hands of late Secretary not 



accounted for 



Balance in the hands of the Bankers, June 30, 



1859 



Petty-Cash Balance in hand, June 30, 1859 



£5576 4 

 (Signed) Thomas Raymond Barker,"] 



Chairman, I Finance 



C. B. Challoner, I Committee. 



Henry Wilson, J 



Examined, audited, and found correct, this 2nd day of De- 

 cciabcr, 1859. 



(Signed) William Astbury, "1 Auditors on the 

 Joseph Druce, ^ J part of the Society. 



E 2 



