HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. MAGE 
What happened to the Society in the thirties is told in 
the Royal Agricultural Society’s Annual for 1906, p. 16, by 
H. M.Somer, from which the following particulars are taken. 
In 1832 the effects of bad seasons and the depreciation 
of farm property began to tell very severely on the pros- 
pects of the Society. On 20th June, 1833, the fruit trees 
and plants at the garden which had been conducted by the 
Society at Parramatta were advertised for sale. Never- 
theless, there was a large attendance at the half-yearly 
meeting on October 3rd, and the meeting was described as 
one of the most successful that had been held for years. 
For three or four years the affairs of the Society had been 
at rather a low ebb. 
Because of the spurt, one is rather shocked to read in 
the ‘‘Herald”’ of 3rd March, 1834, ‘‘We presume we shall 
hear no more of our Agricultural Society.”’ 
Mr. Somer says, ‘“‘ What might be described as the dying 
struggles of the body were continued through 1834, when 
a half-yearly meeting was to have been held at Walker’s 
Hotel, Parramatta. This meeting, however, resulted in 
what proved the coupde grace. No preparations had been 
made, and a number of farmers who had come in to com- 
pete for the premiums had to return to their homes. The 
final demise seems to be enshrouded in mystery, and it is 
probable that a few further spasmodic efforts were made 
to carry it on.’ (I have already referred to the office- 
bearers for 1836, so that it had not been disbanded at least 
until that year). 
Mr. Somer states that “the next important movement 
is recorded in March 1857,’ when the Cumberland Agri- 
cultural Society was formed. This is referred to in con- 
nection with the transactions of the Australian Horticul- 
tural and Agricultural Society under date 2nd February, 
29th June, and 20th July, 1858. See pp. 248, 250. 
