NATURE'S DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 287 



4th. Miscellaneous Business. 



5tli. Appointment of Delegates. 



The Committee would recommend that the committees on the 

 selection of subjects and to consider the arrangements of the 

 annual country meeting be appointed at an early stage of the 

 session. (Signed) Geo. B Loring, Chairman. 



The reports of delegates to the various agricultural societies 

 were then submitted as follows : — 



Mr. Slade reported upon the Middlesex South ; Mr. Good- 

 man, upon the Essex ; Mr. Stone, upon the Worcester West ; 

 Mr. Hyde, upon the Worcester South ; Mr. Clarke, upon the 

 Worcester North ; Mr. Fearing, upon the Middlesex ; Mr. 

 Brown, upon the Worcester ; Mr. Peck, upon the Worcester 

 South-East ; Mr. Clement, upon the Hampden East ; Mr. Ward, 

 upon the Franklin ; Mr. Knowlton, upon the Berkshire ; Mr. 

 Hyde, upon the Marshfield ; and Mr. Morton, upon the Nan- 

 tucket. 



A committee to suggest a list of subjects for investigation and 

 essays, was constituted by the appointment of Messrs. Loring, 

 Clark and Hyde. 



A committee of three to consider and report upon the time 

 and place of holding the country meeting was constituted by the 

 appointment of Messrs. Davis, Birnie and Goodman. 



Voted, That the returns made in reply to questions concerning 

 the condition of the various agricultural societies, be referred 

 to the Secretary and the committee appointed to prepare the 

 questions. 



President Clark submitted the following essay upon 



NATURE'S MODE OF DISTRIBUTING PLANTS. 

 The wonderful adaptation of living beings to every portion of 

 the earth's surface must impress even the most casual observer. 

 The red snow of the glaciers, the phosphorescent fungus of 

 gloomy caves, the drifting lichens of the Siberian steppes, the 

 brilliant flowers of Alpine summits, the gigantic sea-weeds of 

 the Antarctic Ocean, the gorgeous air-plants of the tropics, the 

 venerable cedars of Lebanon, the immense sequoias of Califor- 

 nia, the towering gum-trees of Australia and the glorious palms 

 of the Amazon valley, are but familiar examples of the infinite 



