THE SOCIETY'S SCOPE ENLARGED 



addition to encouraging the minor as well as the 

 major features of the agricultural industry, the 

 Society added to the ordinary attractions of such 

 gatherings a flower-show, a poultry-show, a picture- 

 show, and an art-manufactures exhibition. In 

 later times other features have been added < in 

 the shape of exhibitions illustrative of arts and 

 crafts, home industries, nature study and forestry. 

 The forestry exhibition especially has done much 

 to promote a better knowledge of woodcraft, and 

 attached to it has been a department for giving 

 practical demonstrations in pruning and grafting, 

 which have been most helpful to fruit growers 

 and others. When we are in a mining district 

 classes for timbering and wire-rope splicing are 

 added. The finances having been strengthened 

 by the profits accruing from the annual meetings, 

 the Society's Council, besides extending the area 

 and the usefulness of the shows, appointed a 

 special committee to take into consideration what 

 further assistance could be rendered to the national 

 industry. This bore fruit in a series of recom- 

 mendations, adopted by the Council, inaugurating 

 a new departure and opening up fresh fields of 

 operations. Briefly summarized, the proposed 

 extension embodied the establishment of a system 

 of practical experiments with respect to the effect 

 of artificial manures on both corn and grass ; 

 the examination and testing of any new processes 

 dealing with agricultural produce ; the setting 

 on foot of research work in dairying and other 

 branches of agricultural industry ; the provision 

 of special facilities for imparting knowledge in 

 such subjects ; and the collection and publication 



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