506 HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the general improvement of land in Scotland ; and for the 

 zeal and ability with which he has uniformly promoted the 

 efficiency and prosperity of the Society.' 



From the first the Marquis took an interest in the 

 general shows of the Society. In 1824 he presided at the 

 dinner held in the Royal Exchange Tavern, on the occa- 

 sion of the Edinburgh show in that year. In 1825 he acted 

 as one of the practical judges of stock at the Edinburgh 

 show, and officiated as chairman at the dinner in the Royal 

 Exchange Tavern, where a party of above two hundred 

 friends of agriculture met. In 1826 he, as Vice-President 

 of the Society, conducted the proceedings of the show held 

 at Glasgow that year, and presided at the dinner in the 

 Town Hall. The Marquis occupied the chair at the Town 

 Hall of Kelso on the occasion of the show there in 1832, 

 That year there were three dinners on the same evening : 

 one presided over by the Duke of Buccleuch, held in the 

 Cross Keys ; the second by the Marquis, in the Town Hall ; 

 and the third by the late Mr Scott of Raeburn, in the 

 Queen's Head Inn. At the Aberdeen show in 1834 

 there were three public dinners on the same evening : 

 one presided over by the Duke of Buccleuch, the second 

 by the Duke of Gordon, and the third by the Marquis. 

 At the general show held at Ayr in 1835, his Lordship 

 acted as one of the judges, and presided at the dinner 

 held in the County Hall. At the shows at Perth in 1836, 

 Dumfries in 1837, Glasgow in 1838, Inverness in 1839, 

 and the Aberdeen in 1840, the Marquis acted as a judge of 

 Shorthorns and Leicesters. At Berwick in 1841 he acted 

 as judge of Shorthorns and swine. His Lordship, as we 

 have already said, was from 1842 to 1848 Governor and 

 Commander-in-Chief at Madras, which for a time inter- 

 rupted his connection with the Society. 



In 1869 the Marquis was present at the show held at 

 Edinburgh, when, in his capacity of President, he received 

 the Corporation of the City of Edinburgh, headed by Lord 

 Provost Chambers, and formally thanked them for the use 

 of the Meadows as a show-ground. Through indisposition 

 he was unable to attend the dinner in the Freemasons' Hall: 



