428 Proceeclinys. 



Mr. J. T. Thomson and the Hon. Mr. Eandall Johnson complimented Dr. Kemp on 

 his paper, which contained many suggestions which it was most desirable should be 

 adopted. 



2. " Ou AVind-formed Lakes," by J. 0. Crawford, F.G.S. {Transactions, 

 p. 415.) 



Mr. Gr. M. Williams said he had noticed small lakes on the West Coast formed, no 

 doubt, in this way. 



Mr. Maxwell had seen small pools of this kind, but hardly to be called lakes. He 

 scarcely thought the Wairarapa Lake had been formed in this way. 



3. "On Grasses and Fodder Plants," by S. M. Curl, M.D. {Transac- 

 tions, p. 382.) 



The Hon. Mr. Eandall Johnson pointed out the value of such a paper as this. He 

 did not think farmers, generally speaking, could carry out such experiments ; it should 

 more properly be done by Schools of Agriculture, which he hoped soon to see established 

 in the colony. They had made a commencement in this direction at Christchurch. He 

 might instance one plant, the prickly comfrey, that had been highly recommended as 

 likely to do well in this country, but which had been rejected. It did not suit the climate 

 or soil — two things of the greatest importance. 



Mr. Ku'k stated that the most important point mentioned by the author, the neces- 

 sity of a mixture of several grasses in order to form good pasture, had been stated in 

 early volumes of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. He had felt somewhat 

 disaijpointed in not finding any new matter brought forward in that portion of the paper 

 which had been read. The general statements, with regard to the utter want of attention 

 paid to grass culture, required qualification, as considerable improvement has taken place 

 in New Zealand during the last few years. He had seen excellent grass paddocks in the 

 district in which the author resided, and knew that a large quantity of seed of the best 

 natural and artificial grasses was imported into the Rangitikei district annually. 



He fully agreed with the author as to the desirability of encouraging the growth of 

 some of the native grasses, several of which were of proved value when mixed with those 

 ordinarily cultivated, as might be seen in several localities near Wellington, and in other 

 parts of the colony. 



One or two incidental matters mentioned by Dr. Curl involved issues of considerable 

 interest, but he would only notice one of these. The author stated that plants were 

 capable of being acclimatized, or according to the popular meaning of the term, of be- 

 coming so modified by cultivation as to be enabled to endure a climate very different from 

 that for which they were originally adapted by nature. Now there was not the slightest 

 evidence in support of this statement. It would be correct to say that in many cases the 

 proper mode of cultivation had not been discovered until after many failures, but that 

 was a very different matter from such a gradual alteration in the constitution of a plant as 

 would enable it to withstand the effects of a climate for which it was not naturally suited. 



Sixth Meeting. 21th September, 1879. 

 A. K. Newman, M.B., President, in the chair. 

 New Member.— -J. Park. 



1. " Eemarks on Forest Planting and Conservation, with reference to 

 particular Localities in the Wellington District," by G. W. Williams. 



