Auckland Institute. 441 



" I feel," exist under all physical conditions. (4) Consciousness is distinct from, if not 

 wholly independent of physical conditions, with reason for its guide. (5) The modern 

 doctrine of materialism did not account for the action of the will. (6) To exclude the 

 primal force of the will, was to strike a blow at man's responsibility for his actions. The 

 lecturer proceeded at considerable length, to examine the opinions of Herbert Spenser, 

 Professor Tyndall, and other eminent authorities. 



Ninth Meeting. %ul September, 1880. 

 Eev. Dr. Purchas, President, in the chair. 

 Mr. E. C. Barstow gave a lecture on the "Exodus of Israel." 



Tenth Meeting. 7th October, 1880. 



Eev. Dr. Purchas, President, in the chair. 



Mr. Neil Heath, F.G.S., gave a lecture entitled "A day on the Ice 

 around Mont Blanc." 



Eleventh Meeting. 25th October, 1880. 

 Eev. Dr. Purchas, President, in the Chair. 

 Neiv Members. — Eev. S. Baker, Pierce Lanigan, W. McCuUoch. 



1. " On a new species of Loranthus,'" by T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S. 

 {Transactions, p. 296.) 



2. "On the growth of Sugar Beet in New Zealand," by Dr. Curl. 

 {Transactions, p. 142.) 



3. " On the Neglected Forest Products of New Zealand," by T. Kirk, 

 F.L.S. {Transactions, p. 130.) 



Twelfth Meeting. 15th November, 1880. 

 Eev. Dr. Purchas, President, in the Chair. 

 Neio Member. — Mrs. Stoddard. 



1. "Eenaarkson Dr. Curl's Paper on the Growth of Sugar-Beet, in 

 New Zealand," by E. E. Hunt. 



In my opinion the thanks of the colony at large are due to Dr. Curl for his exper- 

 ments, testing the percentage of sugar in beet-root grown in the colony. In all my con- 

 versations with shrewd business men about establishing a company to produce sugar from 

 beet-root, the first question which met me was this, " Will beet-root grown in New Zea- 

 land produce sugar in it of a percentage to pay?" I could only answer, "That I could 

 speak to its growing well, and to a very large size, but could not say anything of the per- 

 centage of sugar." Now this is the very point which Dr. Curl has proved, and which 

 renders his paper of great practical value — viz., that New Zealand not only produces a 

 percentage to pay, but exceeds it by 1 and 2 per cent., and if you will consider that 1 per 

 cent, of saccahrine matter is equal to 7^ per cent, net profit, you will recognize the import- 

 ance of Dr. Curl's experiments. 



56 



