Report of SoctEtv's Meetings. i§9 



proper system of steam ploughing could be brought into 

 use and he regretted that more planters had not attended 

 to take part in the discussion. 



The President said it was also unfortunate that Mr. 

 Luard had not been able to attend. It was commonly 

 said that the reports of these meetings could be read in 

 the newspapers, but this was not all, as people must be 

 present before they could have a discussion. The subje6l 

 was not a new one for in the Society's records they 

 would find many references to it. He had been lately 

 reading the late Mr. W. Russell's pamphlet, and found it 

 interesting. In the earlier days the ploughs were much 

 heavier and clumsier than at present, but even now a 

 great deal was wanting. He was of opinion that plan- 

 ters and engineers should lay their heads together and 

 devise some means of steam cultivation with open 

 drainage. It would be a great saving if this were done, 

 as at present one adult labourer was required to every 

 acre, and he did not think any other cultivation required 

 so much manual labour. 



Mr. Gilzean thought the Government might be asked 

 to assist the experiments by a bonus or grant, and the 

 President promised to bring a motion before th.e Society 

 to that end. 



The Hon. N. D. Davis thought that information might 

 be obtained from Holland, the fen distrifts of England, 

 and Louisiana, where similar conditions to those in this 

 colony existed. The Secretary was dire6led to obtain 

 such information. 



Mr. Gillespie said that the soils of other countries 

 were generally more porous and had more worms 

 in them than those of British Guiana. He did not 



