Report of Society's Meetings. 213 



gelatine contents will simply have to be dissolved in water, and distri- 

 buted in a rational manner in the soil. It might also be considered 

 whether it would not be advantageous to steep the seed in such a 

 solution in a similar way as seed is steeped or disinfefted against rust. 

 According to preliminary calculations the cost of this impregnation of 

 the soil, in order to make it capable of growing leguminosse would be 

 about 2/6, (the report does not say per acre or what), and therefore 

 much cheaper than the vaccination with impregnated earth, as tried 

 some years ago. Should the proposed system prove pra6licable, it 

 would open up in other direftions the widest and most valuable pros- 

 pefts, of which one need merely mention the cultivation of the nitrifying 

 bacteria. It is now well known that this most important plant food in 

 its various more or less valuable forms— free atmospheric nitrogen, 

 ammonia, nitric acid and the intermediate forms — are produced by kinds 

 of bafteria quite definite and distinft from one another. Should it prove 

 possible to cultivate them artificially on a large scale, this would result 

 in our being able to use the atmospheric nitrogen, to conserve farmyard 

 manure, and to intensify the effeft of artificials. However, in order to 

 see what is possible, praftical experiments with the first mentioned 

 bafteria on a large scale must be made. 



Professor Harrison thought that these suggestions 

 were hardly applicable to this colony, and Mr. Quelch 

 called attention to the fa6l that as yet the matter was 

 only in the experimental stage. 



On the suggestion of Mr. Jacob Conrad the papers 

 were referred to the Agricultural Committee. 



The following notes on the cultivation of tobacco were 

 read, they having been forwarded to Mr. yEneas D. 

 Mackay, by Mr. G. E. Tuckett, Hamilton, Canada : — 



Preparation of Seed Bed. 

 Brushwood or cordwood is burnt on the spot intended to plant the 

 seed bed. This is to destroy the weeds that may be present, and enrich 

 the soil. Some burn several cords in 30 to 40 feet square. This seed 

 bed is thoroughly pulverized, making the soil firm. 



Growing. 

 After plants have grown large enough in this seed bed, they are 

 transplanted The soil for growing tobacco should be rich and well 



