xlii Report to the General Meeting. 



tliem the results of their past experience on the cultivation of 

 the potato, with special reference to the potato-disease. (4) By 

 the announcement that, in 1879, the Council will offer prizes 

 for new varieties of potato, raised from seed in the mean time, 

 which shall be found to resist disease during three years' trial, 

 under the same conditions as the present competition. The 

 Council adopted these recommendations, and they are able to 

 announce that Professor de Bary has undertaken the proposed 

 scientific investigations ; that six varieties of potato, sent in to 

 compete for the prizes offered, are at present being grown in 

 twenty different districts of the United Kingdom, namely, ten 

 in England, two in Wales, four in Scotland, and four in Ireland. 

 A list of questions, carefully prepared by the Committee, has 

 also been sent to about 300 potato-growers in the several potato- 

 growing districts of the United Kingdom ; and it is proposed to 

 publish a report, based on the replies that may be received 

 to them, in the next number of the Journal. 



The Council have called the attention of the Secretary of 

 State for the Home Department, and the President of the 

 Local Government Board, to the present unsafe condition of 

 many bridges throughout the country for the passage over 

 them of ploughing and traction engines, the increased use of 

 which in agricultural operations is becoming more and more 

 necessary. 



Ten Candidates, out of twelve who had entered, presented 

 themselves for the usual educational examination on April 14tli 

 and following days. Mr. R. Rich, of the Royal Agricultural 

 College, Cirencester, obtained a First Class Certificate, the 

 Life Membership of the Society, and a Prize of 25/. All the 

 other Candidates failed to satisfy the Examiners in Chemistry, 

 and, with one exception, each Candidate also failed in at least 

 one other necessary subject. 



The Examiner in Agriculture reported very favourably of 

 the papers written and the answers given, in the viva voce 

 examination, by the majority of the Candidates, and considered 

 that great credit was due to them for their proficiency in 

 Practical Agriculture. The Examiners in Chemistry regarded 

 the result of the examination in that science as very dis- 

 appointing, and much below the standard attained by" the 

 Candidates last year ; they added that the knowledge of general 



