612 
Report of the Senior Steward 
These figures clearly show that during the first period of 
nineteen years there was a very small accession of Members to 
the roll of the Society, but that during the second period of 
twenty-two years the numbers have substantially increased. 
It must, however, be borne in mind that this body, large as it 
is, is small in proportion to the agricultural interest of England 
as a whole, while the small increase in the income from sub- 
scriptions as compared with the number of Members is to a 
large extent attributable to the fact that very few Governors are 
on the list of the Society at the present time, while a large 
number joined its ranks soon after its establishment. 
That the numbers of Members should be so limited is all the 
more remarkable when the advantages offered to them for an 
annual subscription of IZ. are taken into account. 
The direct advantages are : — 
1. The admission to the Society's Shows. 
2. Two numbers of the ' Journal.' 
3. Privileges of chemical analysis. 
4. Opinions on veterinary cases. 
5. „ „ seeds and plants. 
6. ,, „ entomological subjects. 
7. Power of entering animals for competition at the 
Society's Shows at nominal fees. 
The indirect advantages arise from the benefits conferred on 
the agricultural classes through the investigations of the Society 
in the field of science, whereby new agricultural processes are 
first suggested, and afterwards brought in the experimental field 
to an economical test. 
The laboratory researches of the Chemical Professor, whereby 
the adulteration of manures and feeding-stuffs has been detected 
and exposed ; the inquiries into the diseases of animals by the 
Veterinary Professors ; and the researches of the Botanical and 
Entomological Professors, can all be noted as benefits to the 
subscribers to the Society. They, however, involve an expendi- 
ture which increases rapidly year by year, making it difficult 
for the Council to satisfy the ever-increasing demands of the 
exhibitors for an enlargement of the prize-list. 
Further, the perfecting of every agricultural implement now 
in general use, has resulted from the work of the Society. 
Each implement in turn has been brought to the test of a 
trial at the various Shows since 1841. 
The history of the trials of any one of the implements, large 
or small, whether of ploughs, horse-hoes, drills, steam-engines, 
threshers, hay- or corn-cutting machines, steam ploughs, cream- 
separators, and churns, is the same. 
Brought to the Society with many imperfections, each imple- 
