lxi 
Reports of Committees. 
thought that Dr. Yoelcker should be 
fully authorised to proceed with it at 
once. It was very desirable that 
both the chemical and botanical 
branches of the subject should be 
investigated, but upon perfectly 
separate lines. This should be done 
forthwith, with all the energy which 
their very able officials could put into 
the matter, because in the meantime 
the country was suffering very much 
from this disease through its unknown 
causes and its unkoown treatment. 
He would suggest that any members 
of Council who could give practical 
information, or who had fields where 
finger-and-toe was always prevalent, 
should be invited to communicate 
with the Society on the subject. 
Mr. Rawlence said that he had 
many acres of land subject to this 
disease, and he would gladly afford 
any assistance in his power. 
Mr. Whitehead, as Chairman of 
the Seeds and Plants Committee, said 
he had read Dr. Voelcker’s proposed 
scheme, of which he thoroughly 
approved. He saw no reason why it 
should not be proceeded with forth- 
with. He moved, therefore, that Dr. 
Voelcker’s scheme be approved by the 
Council, and that Dr. Voelcker be 
empowered to act upon it at once. 
The motion having been carried 
unanimously, the report of the Com- 
mittee was then adopted. 
Veterinary. 
Sir John Thorold (Chairman) re- 
ported the recommendation of the 
Committee that Mr. Clement Stephen- 
son be asked to lecture on Farriery 
upon one of the days of the show at 
Chester, at which he is to act as one 
of the judges of horse-shoeing. Pro- 
fessor Brown had presented the fol- 
lowing report : — 
Pleuro-pxectmonta. — In the first sixteen 
weeks of the present year there 1ms been 
only one case of this disease in Great Britain. 
Forty-six contact, and 21 suspected cattle 
were, during that time, slaughtered, but all 
of them were found free from the disease. 
In the corresponding period of last year 
there were 71 diseased, 734 contact, and 08 
suspecteil cattle slaughtered by order of the 
Board of Agriculture. 
Swine Fevrk.— This disease is again 
increasing. The published returns show 
786 outbreaks and 3,927 swine attacked this 
year, as compared with 561 outbreaks and 
3,512 attacked in the corresponding period 
of last year. 
Antuiux— S ince the beginning of the 
present year anthrax has been much more 
prevalent than it has been in the corre- 
sponding period of any of the past three 
years. There have been this year 140 out- 
breaks and 335 animals attacked. In the 
corresponding periods of 1892, 1891, and 
1890, there were 82, 68, anil 49 outbreaks 
respectively. 
Gi.iNDF.ii3 ( including F.vnfY). — The re- 
turns of these diseases show a slight decrease 
this year as compared with last year. There 
have been 451 outbreaks and 709 horses at- 
tacked this year, as compared with 473 out- 
breaks and 870 horses attacked iu the corre- 
sponding period of 1832. 
Stock Prizes. 
Mr. Sanday (Chairman) reported 
that the Committee had again had 
under consideration the proposal of 
the railway companies to discontinue 
for the future the free conveyance of 
men travelling to and from agricul- 
tural shows in charge of live stock, 
and they submitted further corre- 
spondence on the subject. They were 
unanimously of opinion that it was 
desirable for a joint deputation of 
the leading Agricultural and Breed 
Societies to wait upon the Managers, 
to urge a reconsideration of their 
recent decision and the restoration of 
the arrangement heretofore in force, 
under which men travelling in charge 
of stock were conveyed free to and 
from shows, and they suggested that 
the Secretary be instructed to com- 
municate both with other societies 
and with the railway managers on 
the subject. They recommended that 
the following members of Council be 
nominated as the representatives of 
the Royal Agricultural Society on the 
deputation : — The President, the Hon. 
Cecil T. Parker (Hon. Director), Sir 
Jacob Wilson, Mr. Chandos- Pole- 
Gen, Mr. Walter Gilbey, Mr. Sanday, 
and Mr. C. W. Wilson. 
This recommendation was adopted 
by the Council, and the Secretary 
was instructed to communicate ac- 
cordingly with the Railway Managers 
and with the leading Agricultural 
and Breed Societies. 1 
Mr. Sanday, at the unanimous re- 
quest of the Stock Prizes Committee, 
gave notice that at the next meeting of 
' After the rising of the Council an intima- 
tion was received that the Railway Managers 
would be willing to receive the deputation at 
12.30 p.m. on Thursday, tlie 11th May, at the 
Railway Clearing House, 123, Seymour Street, 
Eustou Square, N.W, (see page Ixxii.j, 
