TRANSACTIONS OF SUB-SECTION K. — CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. 587 



10. Report on the Survey of Clare Island. --Hee Reports, p. 176. 



11. Report on the Registration of Botanical Photographs. 

 See Reports, p. 177. 



12. It terim Report on the Promotion of the Study of the Piatt Lite of the 

 British Islands, and the preparation of the Materials for a National 

 Flora. 



SUB-SECTION OF AGRICULTURE. 

 Chairman.— W. Bateson, M.A., F.R.S. 



THURSDAY, AUGUST 31. 



The Chairman delivered the following Address : — ■ 



The invitation to preside over the Agricultural Sub-Section on this occasion 

 naturally gave me great pleasure, but after accepting it I have felt embarrass- 

 ment in a considerable degree. The motto of the great Society which has been 

 responsible for so much progress in agricultural affairs in this country very clearly 

 expresses the subject of our deliberations in the words ' Practice with Science,' 

 and to be competent to address you, a man should be well conversant with both. 

 But even if agriculture is allowed to include horticulture, as may perhaps be 

 generally conceded, I am sadly conscious that my special qualifications are much 

 weaker than you have a right to demand of a President. 



The aspects of agriculture from which it offers hopeful lines for scientific 

 attack are, in the main, three : Physiological, Pathological, and Genetic. All 

 are closely interrelated, and for successful dealing with the problems of any one 

 of these departments of research, knowledge of the results attained in the 

 others, is now almost indispensable. I myself can claim personal acquaintance 

 with the third or genetic group alone, and therefore in considering how science 

 is to be applied to the practical operations of agriculture, I must necessarily 

 choose it as the more special subject of this address. I know very well that 

 wider experience of those other branches of agricultural science or practical 

 agriculture would give to my remarks a weight to which they cannot now pretend. 



Before, however, proceeding to these topics of special consideration, I have 

 thought it not unfitting to say something of a more general nature as to the scope 

 of an applied science, such as that to which we here are devoted. We are wit- 

 nessing a very remarkable outburst of activity in the promotion of science in its. 

 application to agriculture. Public bodies distributed throughout this country 

 and our possessions are organising various enterprises with that object. Agricul- 

 tural research is now everywhere admitted a proper subject for University sup- 

 port and direction. 



With the institution of the Development Grant a national subsidy is provided 

 on a considerable scale in England for the first time. 



At such a moment the scope of this applied science and the conditions under 

 which it may most successfully be advanced are prominent matters of considera- 

 tion in the minds of most of us. We hope great things from these new ven- 

 tures. We are, however, by no means the first to embark upon them. Many 

 of the other great nations have already made enormous efforts in the same 

 direction. We have their experience for a guide. 



