Report to the General Meeting. 
xliii 
Bedford, Buckingham, Oxford, Hertford, Essex, and Middlesex. 
At a public meeting held at the Mansion House under the 
presidency of the Lord Mayor, it was unanimously resolved 
that it was desirable to promote the holding of a great Agri- 
cultural Exhibition in London next year, under the auspices of 
the Society ; and an influential Committee was appointed to 
carry out out that object and to co-operate with the Council. 
The Council have therefore decided that the Meeting of 1879 
shall be held in the county of Middlesex as near London as 
possible, and that it shall be planned on an extended basis and 
assume an international character. 
Under such distinctive and favourable circumstances, His 
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has intimated his willing- 
ness to accept the Presidency of the Society for the ensuing 
year. 
During the past half-year, the Chemical Committee have had 
under consideration two special subjects of the greatest import- 
ance to the Members of the Society. With regard to the first 
of these — the Experiments at Woburn are being carried on 
satisfactorily, and a Report of their progress has been lately 
published in the * Journal.' The Council regret that Mr. Lawes 
has retired from active participation with Dr. Voelcker in the 
management of the experiments, but they are happy to say that 
they will not be deprived of the great advantage of his advice 
and assistance. An expression of the Council's regret at Mr. 
Lawes' resignation, and a vote of thanks to him for the labour 
and time he had bestowed on the initiation and superintendence 
of the experiments was unanimously passed at the April meet- 
ing. The Chemical Committee, with the sanction of the 
Council, have drawn up some rules for the future management 
of Crawley Farm, and of the Experimental Field, the former 
being under the management of a Sub-Committee, the latter 
under that of Dr. Voelcker, and both under the control of the 
Chemical Committee. 
The second subject refers to the Members' privileges of 
chemical analysis. The Quarterly Reports of the Chemical 
Committee have demonstrated the necessity of purchasing arti- 
ficial manures and feeding stuffs by guaranteed analysis, and of 
checking the quality of the bulk as delivered, by sending in a 
