548 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 
was the amount of the agricultural produce of England, what were the 
particular productions of the east or the north of England, and a 
number of other questions, which it struck him at the time no English 
farmer pver asked, and which he was afraid very few of them would 
be able to answer. But to French, Germans, Austrians, Portu- 
guese, Americans, and Canadians alike, he was obliged to return the 
humiliating reply that we had no means of ascertaining what was the 
agricultural produce of the country ; and so surprised were these 
gentlemen that they seemed to bo really incredulous of the fact. He 
had alluded to this subject, because it was one of the matters which he 
should like to see occupying the attention of the farmer and his sons, 
leading as it would to the question of what was the agricultural pro- 
duce of other countries. He had often heard farmers who suffered 
from low prices speak of the quantity of foreign corn that was im- 
ported into the country ; and they did so evidently without any know- 
ledge of what was the best course for them to take under the circum- 
stances, simply because they had no means of ascertaining what the 
resources of the world were in respect of the different kinds of grain ; 
of barley, as compared with wheat, or oats as compared with bailey ; 
what kind of climate was most suitable for barley or oats ; and how 
far competition was likely to be greater or less in different kinds of 
grain. He had glanced at these topics because they were constantly 
spoken of by farmers in the markets, and in conversation with their 
landlords and each other ; and he had remarked that farmers took a 
great degree of interest in them. Ho feared, however, this Society 
had not quite done its duty in bringing these subjects forward in a 
manner that would add to the intellectual enjoyment of their pursuit, 
although they were topics to which farmers woidd most readily address 
themselves. 
The Chairman, in moving the thanks of the meeting to Mr. Holland, 
said he should bo extremely gratified if the committee felt it their 
duty to recommend some general practical plan upon the subject, and 
also considered it expedient to propose that some prizes should be 
offered by the Society for the most proficient of the pupils educated at 
the proposed schools. It would, perhaps, be difficult to carry into 
effect any practical plan during the present session ; still, if they had 
a report from the committee, it might be considered by the council ; 
for such an important matter could not fail to excite very great 
interest and discussion. The cost of such institutions would, no 
doubt, be considerable; and if land were added to each of them, it 
would greatly augment the cost. Suggestions had been made by 
various gentlemen with regard to the appropriation of the funded pro- 
perly of the Society ; for example, that, instead of investing it, it 
should be employed in some other way in order to enlarge the opera- 
tions of the proposed, institutions. If it were to be appropriated to 
any purpose of the kind, he should certainly say that the best plan 
would be to expend a j'oi'tion of the funds in the establishment and 
support of prizes and scholarships. It had been truly observed by 
Sir E. Kerrison that they could not increase the quantity of the acreage 
<>!' tl 10 country. They could, however, greatly augment its cultivation : 
