May 1 8th, 1920.] Proceedings. xxiii. 



Chemist, British Dyestuffs Corporation (Huddersfield) Ltd., 42, The 

 Square, Fairfield, Manchester; Dr. Arthur Ernest Oxley, M.A. 

 (Cantab.), Head of Physical Department, British Cotton Industry 

 Research Association, c/o British Cotton Industry Be search Association, 

 Shirley Institute, Didsbury, Manchester; Dr. John Charles Withers, 

 A. I.C., Chemist, British Cotton Industry Research Association, c/o 

 British Cotton Industry Besearch Association, Shirley Institute, 

 Didsbury, Manchester; and Dr. Arthur William Crossley, C.M.G., 

 C.B.E., D.Sc. (Mane), LL.D. (St. Andrews), Ph.D. (Wiirz.), F.R.S., 

 Director British Cotton Industry Research Association, c/o British 

 Cotton Industry Besearch Association, Shirley Institute, Didsbury, 

 Manchester; were elected Ordinary Members of the Society. 



Ordinary Meeting, May 4th, 1920. 



Mr. William Thomson, F.R.S.E., F.I.C. (Vice-President), 



in the Chair. 



A vote of thanks was passed to the donors of the books npon 

 the table. These included ''Slavic Europe , A Bibliography ..." 

 by R. J. Kerner (8vo., Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.), presented 

 by the Harvard College Library. 



Mr. W. J. Perry, B.A., read for Major Thomas Cherry, 

 A.A.M.C., M.D., M.S., a paper entitled : — " The Origin of 



Agriculture." 



The author showed that the annual flood cycle of the Nile 

 provided perfect conditions for the growth of cereals. Since 

 none other of the great rivers on the banks of which civilisation 

 first appeared affords such natural possibilities for the growth 

 of cereals, it was claimed that man must have learned in Egypt 

 the lesson which the Nile was trying to teach him, that of 

 irrigation and the cultivation of cereals. 



The author also discussed the origins of wheat and barley. 

 He claimed that the originals of our cultivated barley probably 

 evolved in the valley of the Nile, while those of our cultivated 

 wheats probably evolved on one of the islands of the Aegean 

 Archipelago. 



General Meeting, May 18th, 1920. 



Mr. R. L. Taylor, F.C.S., F.I.C [Vice-President), in the Chair. 



Dr. Albert Frank Stanley Kent, M.A., Director of the Department 

 of Industrial Administration, The College of Technology, Manchester, 

 The College of Technology, Manchester; Mrs. Elizabeth C. Agar, 

 16, Elm Boad, Didsbury, Manchester ; and Thomas G. Russell, Solicitor, 

 King Street, Manchester, and The Cottage, Lees Boad, Bramhall, 

 Cheshire; were elected Ordinary Members of the Society. 



