viii 
Report to the General Meeting. 
under ordinary farming cultivation. They have also established 
two Classes for Market Gardeners. 
The Council have decided to offer in connection with the 
Reading Meeting the Gold Medal of the Society for an efficient 
and economical apparatus for excavating field drains, and for 
Cream Separators in two classes — in one class the machines to 
be driven by mechanical power, and in the other by manual or 
horse-power. They have also offered special Prizes for an 
efficient portable Straw-compressing and Binding Machine, to be 
worked in conjunction with a threshing-machine ; and for the 
best Milking Machine, to be tested during six consecutive 
months of the spring and summer of 1883. 
The Council have thankfully accepted the offer of Mr. Martin 
J. Sutton of a Prize of one hundred guineas for an efficient and 
economical method of drying hay or corn crops artificially, either 
before or after being stacked, and they have arranged that the 
exhibition of the apparatus at the Reading Show shall not be an 
absolute requirement, but that appliances for the purpose already 
fixed, or which may be fixed, at farm homesteads, and which are 
not portable, shall be eligible to compete. 
With a view to obtain reliable information of a practical 
character respecting the treatment of animals affected with Foot- 
and-mouth disease, the Council have arranged with the authorities 
of the Royal Veterinary College to carry out a series of observa- 
tions and experiments. It is hoped to ascertain the possibility 
by treatment to mitigate the severity of the disease as well as to 
lessen the danger of infection, and the susceptibility of animals 
exposed to the risk of taking the disease. 
The Council have decided that the Reading Meeting shall 
commence on Monday, July 10th, and close on the following 
Friday evening. 
The district assigned for the Country Meeting of 1883 com- 
prises the whole of the County of York. 
In view of the great and increasing importance of Dairying as 
a branch of English Agriculture, the Council have appointed a 
Standing Dairy Committee, so that all questions relating to this 
subject may receive the consideration of a department specially 
responsible to the Council for its supervision. 
