160 Report to General Meeting, Thursday, December 12, 1889. 
on July 4, and was very well attended. Experiments by Local 
Agricultural Societies have been continued on the part of the same 
three Societies as previously. 
36. Four hundred applications have been made to the Consulting 
Botanist during the year, chiefly bearing on the quality of seeds, 
but also respecting the composition of pastures, the causes of injury 
to stock, the attacks of destructive parasites, and similar subjects. 
The grass-seeds show a complete absence of intentional adultera- 
tions : not a single instance of the mixture of rye-grass with the 
more expensive fescues, once so common, has been met with. Some 
samples of meadow foxtail germinated over 90 per cent., and of 
golden oat-grass, nearly 90 per cent. There has been a considerable 
amount of dodder in the clover-seed, not less than 24 per cent, of 
the samples of red clover, and 14 per cent, of alsike, containing seeds 
of dodder. The results of the inspection of the selected pastures 
throughout England will be published in the next number of the 
Journal [see page 95]. 
37. The work of the Consulting Entomologist continues to in- 
crease. In addition to advice to individual Members as to insect 
attacks upon their crops, Miss Ormerod has in her published reports 
given for general information much useful practical advice as to 
dealing with some especially injurious kinds of farm-insects. 
Amongst subjects which have received special attention, may be 
mentioned the prevention of warble attack, concerning which many 
inquiries have been received. The chief injury caused by insect 
attacks in the past season has been that of the orchard-pests. A 
few kinds of insect attacks injurious to fruit-trees or crops, which 
hitherto had not been recorded as present, have been observed in 
the past season, and have been duly reported by Miss Ormerod. 
38. The Council have appointed the President, Mr. Frankish, 
and the Secretary, as delegates to represent the Society on the 
Committee of the Mansion House United Association on Railway 
Kates, and have voted the sum of 501. as a contribution to the funds 
of the Association, with a view to assist in securing an adequate 
representation of the interests of agricultural objectors at the Board 
of Trade inquiry into the subject which is new proceeding. 
39. The date of the next Senior Examination for the Society's 
Prizes and Certificates has been fixed for May 13 to 17, 1890. 
The Council have resolved to add Agricultural Entomology to this 
Examination as a voluntary subject, 100 marks being assigned 
to it. 
40. The Annual Examination for the Society's . ten Junior 
Scholarships of 20/. each took place on November 12 and 13, when 
thirty-seven candidates, from twelve schools, competed. Of these 
candidates, fifteen passed in all four subjects (Agriculture, Chemistry, 
Mechanics, and Land-Surveying), and obtained the number of marks 
necessary to qualify them for the Society's Scholarships and Certifi- 
