THE SOCIETY S JUBILEE DINNER. 47 



Edinburgh Town Council have associated themselves with this 

 College, and its progress during the short period of its existence 

 had exceeded the most sanguine anticipations of its founders. 

 Last session 43 students attended its day classes and 142 the 

 evening classes, 38 its month's courses for farmers held in 

 Edinburgh and Forfar, and 122 its dairying classes ; whilst in 

 the counties, 283 attended systematic courses, and the attend- 

 ance at the lectures and short courses reached 10,657. During 

 the present session these numbers were likely to be considerably 

 increased in all departments. The training of teachers in 

 Nature Knowledge was also a branch of work undertaken by this 

 institution. For a class of thirty that it was proposed to arrange, 

 there had been over 170 applications. During the present 

 session the Governors of the College had been giving attention to 

 Forestry, the branch in which the Society under whose auspices 

 they had met was specially interested. A conference had been 

 held with the University Court, at which it was agreed that the 

 central instruction should he carried out in the University, 

 whilst the county work should be undertaken by the Agricultural 

 Colleges. In connection with the University, it was probable 

 that a curriculum for a degree to be instituted of B.Sc. in Forestry 

 would be established, and this branch of education thus get its 

 proper academic recognition. Short courses had been arranged 

 by the Edinburgh College at Cupar, Kirkcaldy, and Earlston, and 

 a proposal was under consideration for a fourth at Bo'ness. 

 The Fife centres, at which the courses were nearly completed, 

 had been most successful, over ninety students being enrolled. 

 It was hoped that the other centres might be as successful. As 

 the work had increased, the governors had considered it necessary 

 to acquire central premises for the College. These had been 

 purchased at George Square, and the attempt was now being 

 made to raise ;^4ooo to meet the expense. This toast could 

 scarcely be acknowledged without reference to the third College 

 for Scotland, which was now being established in Aberdeen. In 

 this connection reference must be made to the fact that 

 Aberdeenshire, which had always been noted for its interest in, 

 and support of, higher education, was likely to show itself more 

 generous towards agricultural education than any other county 

 in Scotland. Its Finance Committee had recommended by a 

 large majority that the annual subsidy to the funds of the 

 College be ^^1200, whilst the minority only wished it reduced to 



