Steam Cultivation. 669 



company was working slowly in the reclamation of land, and they 

 felt assured they should be able in a few years, from the silting-up of 

 the land, to add to the value of the county of Norfolk. 



The President put the vote of thanks, extending it to the gentlemen 

 vvho had assisted in the discussion. He regretted that the attendance 

 was so small, and thought the Council would have again to consider 

 whether it would not be well to alter the hour at which the meetings 

 were held. 



A vote of thanks to the President was also passed. 



Meeting of Weelchj Council, Wedncsdcaj, May 2^tli. Mr. Thoi^ipson, 

 President, in the Chair. 



A discussion was opened by the President on the Eeports recently 

 presented to the Society on 



Steam Cultivation. 



The President said he had undertaken to open the discussion, not 

 with the view of delivering a lecture uj^on steam cultivation, because 

 he hoped their time would be much better spent than in listening to 

 the opinions of any one man ujion a topic so extensive, but for the 

 pm'j)Ose of making, in the first j)lace, a few remarks upon the reports 

 themselves, and then throwing out one or two propositions, or rather 

 questions, for consideration by the meeting. 



First, then, a few words about the reports themselves. 



As one of those who took an active part on the committee aj)pointed 

 to organise an inquiry into the jDresent state of steam cultivation on 

 an extensive scale, I feel great pride and gratification in seeing laid 

 before the Society, in the course of twelve months, such ample and excel- 

 lent rej)orts upon this important question. The duty undertaken by the 

 Commisioners was very onerous, but they have carried it out in sj^ite of 

 many difficulties, and have displayed great talent in the way in which 

 they have completed the task. That they should have joersevered, 

 notwithstanding a most unfavourable season, during which the weather 

 caused delay in all the oj^erations of husbandry during the summer 

 and autumn, and prevented steam imjjlemeuts from being brought into 

 use, as in any ordinary season, was only what was expected from men 

 possessing the spirit of true Englishmen. That they should have col- 

 lected such a mass of valuable materials was only the natural reward 

 of their patience and perseverance. But when we come to look at the 

 reports themselves, and see that, while they contain a great mass of 

 details, involving continual comparison and repetition (without which 

 indeed, the returns would have lost a large portion of their value), 

 they at the same time come before us as a really readable volume, 

 constituting consecutive narratives — I do say that it is a jiroof of literary 

 merit of no common kind. Permit me, therefore, publicly, on behalf 

 of the Society, to ofi'er our best thanks to the Commissioners for the 

 zeal with which they have undertaken a most difiicult duty, for the 

 perseverance with which they have carried it out in spite of numerous 



