Thursday, December 10, 1S91. 
811 
29. During the last six months 640 samples have been sent by 
members to the Society's laboratory for analysis, showing a falling 
off to the extent of about 60 samples as compared -with last year. 
This is probably accounted for by the lateness of the harvest season. 
The number of Unseed-cakes especially has been considerably reducetl, 
but many more instances are now met with of purchases being made 
in accoixlance with the Society's recommendation to purchase these 
under the guarantee of "'pure linseed-cake. ' It is satisfactory to 
record that where this has been done, the articles supplied have, in 
the majority of cases, been found good. Speaking generally, it may 
be said that the quality of " linseed-cake " has improved, while that 
of the nondescript article known as '■ oil-cake ' has gone fiom bad 
to worse. 
30. At the Woburn experimental farm the most important of 
the Feeding Experiments was one upon the relative Feeding-value 
of Decorticatetl and Undecorticated Cotton-cake. The results of 
two different years' experiments are recorded in Part III. of the 
Society's Journal for the current year. The other field experi- 
ments are in progress as before. Fresh feeding experiments for the 
winter of 1891-92 have recently been commenced. Of Local Agri- 
cultural Societies, the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture, the Essex 
Agricidtural Society, and the Lancashire Agricultural Society have 
continued their experiments in conjunction with this Society . 
3L The experiments undertaken at the request of the Board of 
Agriculture for the purpose of determining the efficacy of sulphate 
of copper as a remedy against the potato disease have now been 
satisfactorily carried out in six different districts during the past 
season, and a detailed statement of the results will appear in the 
forthcoming number of the Journal. The experiments of a single 
year do not supply data on which generalisations of any permanent 
value can be based, but the experiments show that the " Bouillie 
Bordelaise " has not prevented the disease in any of the localities, 
though it has decreased the amount of disease in the plots to which 
it has been applied, and has decidedly increased the yield of tubers. 
32. The grass seeds examined by the Consulting Botanist during 
the year have been, with very few exceptions, satisfactory, but a 
large proportion of the clovers have contained the seeds of weeds, 
and dodder has been present in an unusual number of the samples 
of alsike. Some investigations have been made into tlie cause of 
abortion, which seem to indicate that ergot is not the principal cause 
of this malady. Several diseases injuring cultivated crops have 
been investigated, and suggestions made for their pre\ ention. 
33. The work of the Honorary Consulting Entomologi.st'3 
Department continues steadily to increase, ^li.ss Ormerod reports 
that during the pa.st season almost all the commonly known infesta- 
1 tions have been more or less present, and that the experience of 
the year has in no way justifie<l the hope expressed by some 
