REPOKT OF THE COUNCIL. Ixxxiii 



evidence before the Committee appointed by the Government to report on 

 the desirability of establishing a National Physical Laboratory, and at 

 their request Professor G. Carey Foster, F.R.S., and Professor W. E. 

 Ayrton, F.E..S., gave evidence before this Committee. A Report has 

 been presented to Parliament, and the Council trust that the delibera- 

 tions of the Committee will result in the establishment of a National 

 Laboratory. 



In regard to the Resolutions referred to them for consideration and 

 action, if desirable, the Council have to report : — 



(1) That the Council appointed a Committee to consider the desira- 

 bility of approaching the Government with a view to the establishinent 

 in Britain of experimental Agricultural Stations similar in character to 

 those which are producing such satisfactory results in Canada. The 

 Committee having reported that much is already being done in this 

 direction by County Councils and Agricultural Societies, advised that 

 the co-operation of these bodies should first be invited. The Committee 

 was re-appointed for this purpose, and sent in a Report, the principal 

 recommendation of which was adopted by the Council, and is as follows : 



' Your Committee recommend that the Board of Agriculture be in- 

 formed that, in the opinion of the British Association, there is an urgent 

 need for the co-ordination of existing institutions for agricultural research, 

 and that the Association hopes that steps may be taken towards this end, 

 including the strengthening of the scientific work of the Board of Agri- 

 culture and the provision of the means for dealing adequately with scien- 

 tific questions which may come before it.' 



At the request of the Council this Report was brought by the Presi- 

 dent to the notice of the President of the Board of Agriculture, from 

 whom the following reply was received : — 



Boarrl of As:i-iPHl'ui"e. 

 ■1 Whitehall Place, London, S.W., 2Gth July, 189,1 

 Sir, — I have laid before the Board of Agriculture your letter of the 18th inst., 

 and I am desired to express to the Council of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science the thanks of the Board for the attention which the 

 Council have been so good as to give to the important subject of agricultural 

 research. 



The Board will not fail to bear in mind the views set out in the Resolution com- 

 municated to them in the letter above referred to. 



I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



P. G. Chaigie, Assistant Secretary. 

 Sir John Evans, K.C.B., F.R.S.. .tc, President of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, Burlington House, W. 



(2) That a Committee was appointed to report to the Council whether, 

 and, if so, in what form, it is desirable to bring before the Canadian 

 Government the necessity for a Hydrographic Survey of Canada, and that 

 the following formed the Committee : — Professor A. Johnson (Chairman 

 and Secretary), Lord Kelvin, Professor G. H. Darwin, Admiral Sir 

 W. J. L. "Wharton, Professor Bovey, and Professor Macgregor. 



The Committee reported to the Council, and it was decided, in con- 

 formity with the recommendation contained in the Report, that tlie 

 following Resolution should be sent to the Canadian Government : — 



' The Council of the British Association have learnt with regret that 

 the Government of the Dominion of Canada is contemplating the discon- 

 tinuance of their Tidal Survey of Canadian Waters. Wliilst the work 

 already carried out is primarily connected with Hydrograpliy and Na\i- 



