456 HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



chemist to the Society at a meeting of the Directors on 5th 

 March 1873, which office he held till his appointment to the 

 Jacksonian Chair in the University of Cambridge. On 5th 

 May 1875, a resolution was unanimously adopted by the 

 Directors that they could not accept Professor Dewar's 

 resignation of the office of assistant chemist without record- 

 ing in their minutes their sense of the value of his services, 

 and their regret at the loss to the Society of such a distin- 

 guished chemist. At the same time, the Directors con- 

 gratulated him on his appointment to such an honourable 

 position. The resignation of Professor Dewar did not take 

 effect till November 1875, and the Society had the benefit 

 of his services till then ; but from that period till the begin- 

 ning of 1877, the office of chemist was in abeyance. 



In terms of authority given at the General Meeting, 

 17th January 1877, to appoint a chemist, the committee in 

 charge of the Chemical Department, after very deliberate 

 consideration, agreed to recommend to the Directors Dr 

 Andrew P, Aitken as in every way well qualified for the 

 post of chemist to the Society, and the Board unanimously 

 approved of the recommendation. Since his appointment, 

 Dr Aitken has proved that the Committee were not wrong 

 in selecting him as chemist. The zeal, energy, and talent 

 he has displayed in carrying out all the arrangements 

 connected with the inauguration of the Society's Experi- 

 mental Stations, are such as to augur well for the manner 

 in which they will be conducted. 



Agricultural Education. 



In 1856, an application was made to Government for 

 a Supplementary Charter, authorising the Society to take 

 steps for directing and promoting the education of young 

 agriculturists, by laying down a defined curriculum of study, 

 and by granting diplomas to those who, on examination, 

 should be found qualified in the science and practice of 

 agriculture. The application received the favourable consi- 

 deration of the then Lord Advocate (now Lord Moncrieff ), 

 and it was mainly owing to his support that the charter was 

 granted. The first examination took place in 1858, and 



