CHAIR OF AGRICULTURE. 45 I 



Campbell Swinton, the Society resolved to offer a grant of 

 £iSO a year from its funds for ten years, if the Government 

 would give a like or larger sum. The Government were 

 pleased to vote a sum of ^^150 for ten years, the first grant 

 being placed in the estimates for 1868, it being understood 

 that the grant from both sources would be continued if the 

 chair on its new footing proved successful. 



Since session 1864-65 the Society has annually voted 

 the sum of ;^io (given in two sums of £6 and £4) to the 

 students who pass the best and second best examination in 

 the Agricultural Class. These prizes are always taken in 

 books by the students. 



The first occupant of the Chair of Agriculture was Dr 

 Andrew Coventry. He was admitted a member of the 

 Society in 1793, and took an active share in its affairs. We 

 find that, in 1794 he was elected a director, and acted as 

 convener of a committee nam.ed to inquire into a supposed 

 discovery of limestone gravel in the Highlands, besides 

 serving on various committees. In 1808 Professor Coventry 

 published ' Discourses explanatory of a Course of Lectures 

 on Agriculture.' Among other works, he published ' Re- 

 marks on Live Stock.' Shortly before his death, Dr Coventry 

 proposed that the Society should have (i) a museum of 

 specimens and models, with exact measurements of the 

 several pure breeds of the different species of our domestic 

 animals ; (2) a teacher or professor, named or appointed by 

 the Society for giving instructions or lectures on live stock. 

 If this measure had been carried out, Professor Coventry 

 would have promoted it by limiting his own lectures to 

 what relates to agriculture strictly so called, namely, the 

 treatment of lands. So far as we are aware, no further 

 action was taken in the matter, perhaps owing to Professor 

 Coventry's death, which occurred in 1830. 



Mr David Low of Laws, Berwickshire, was appointed 

 to succeed Dr Coventry in 1831, He joined as a member 

 of the Society in 1825, and was elected a Director in 1826. 

 When he became a candidate for the chair, he requested an 

 expression of the opinion of the Board as to his fitness for 

 the charge. The Directors thereupon passed a minute, 



2 F 2 



