xviii  Monthly  Council,  March  3,  1909. 
The  Secebtart  then  read  the  following  letter  which  had  been  addressed 
to  the  Society  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Federation  of  Lancashire  and  Cheshire 
Agricultural  Societies 
The  Federation  of  Lancashire  and 
Cheshire  agricultural  Societies. 
8 Garden  Street,  Eamsbottom, 
December  21,  1908. 
DEAR  Sir,— At  the  annual  meeting  of  above  Federation,  held  in  Manchester 
on  Saturday  last,  and  presided  over  by  Sir  Gilbert  GreenaU,  our  newly-elected 
President,  twenty-eight  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Agricultural  Societies  were 
represented,  and  they  passed  unanimously  the  following  resolution : — 
" That  this  meeting  desires  to  record  its  greatest  satisfaction  at  the  fact  that 
the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England  is  to  visit  Lancashire  in  1910, 
and  trusts  that  all  societies  in  the  Federation  will  do  their  utmost  to  make 
the  visit  an  unqualified  success.” 
May  I ask  you  to  bring  this  communication  before  the  next  meeting  of  your 
Council  f 
I take  the  liberty  of  enclosing  a copy  of  our  last  annual  report,  and  will  forward 
a reprint  of  the  report  of  our  meeting  and  dinner  later,  as  some  interesting  com- 
ments were  made  in  reference  to  the  proposed  visit  of  the  Royal. 
As  Secretary  of  the  Federation,  may  I assure  you  of  the  interest  I take  in 
your  visit,  and  that  I shall  be  pleased  to  render  any  assistance  I can  in  securing 
the  co-operation  of  the  thirty-nine  societies  in  the  Federation. 
Yours  obediently, 
(Signed)  M.  BIRTWISTLE,  Secretary. 
T.  McRow,  Esq.,  Secretary,  Royal  Agricultural  Society. 
The  President  said  the  letter  which  they  had  just  heard  read  was  a very 
pleasant  one  to  receive,  and  he  thought  it  a happy  augury  for  their  Show  of 
next  year. 
Other  business  having  been  transacted,  the  Council  adjourned  until 
March  3,  1909,  at  11  a.m. 
WEDNESDAY,  MARCH  3,  1909. 
At  a Monthly  Council,  held  at  16  Bedford  Square,  W.C.,  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire  (Trustee)  in  the  Chair  : — 
Present : — Trustees. — Mr.  F.  S.  W.  Cornwallis,  the  Earl  of  Coventry,  Sir 
John  H.  Thorold,  Bart. 
Vice-Presidents. — Mr.  J.  Bowen-Jones,  Mr.  Percy  Crutchley,  the  Rt.  Hon. 
A.  E.  Fellowes,  Sir  Gilbert  Greenall,  Bart.,  the  Earl  of  Northbrook. 
Other  Members  of  the  Council. — Mr.  Cliarles  R.  W.  Adeane,  Mr.  T.  L. 
Aveling,  Mr.  S.  N.  Bankart,  Mr.  R.  G.  Carden,  the  Hon.  J.  E.  Cross,  Sir  H.  F. 
de  Trafford,  Bart.,  Mr.  Howard  Frank,  Mr.  R.  M.  Greaves,  Mr.  E.  A.  Hamlyn, 
Mr.  W.  Harrison,  Mr.  J.  H.  Hine,  Mr.  it.  W.  Hobbs,  Mr.  W.  F.  Ingram,  Sir 
Charles  V.  Knightley,  Bart.,  Mr.  Ernest  Mathews,  Mr.  C.  Middleton,  Mr.  T.  H. 
Miller,  Mr.  W.  Nocton,  Mr.  C.  M.  S.  Pilkington,  Mr.  H.  F.  Plumptre,  Mr.  W.  A. 
Prout,  Mr.  F.  Reynard,  Mr.  C.  C.  Rogers,  Mr.  W.  Scoby,  Mr.  B.  W.  Stanyforth, 
Mr.  (ieorge  Taylor,  Mr.  A.  P.  Turner,  Mr.  E.  V.  V.  Wheeler,  and  Mr.  L.  C. 
Wrigley. 
The  following  Members  ^of  the  Gloucester  Local  Committee  were  also 
present  : — Mr.  S.  Aitken,  Mr.  M.  G.  Lloyd  Baker,  Mr.  C.  G.  Clark,  Lieut.-Col. 
J.  F.  Curtis- Hayward,  and  Mr.  R.  Anderson  (Local  Secretary). 
In  the  unavoidable  absence,  in  Egypt,  of  the  Earl  of  Jersey  (President),  the 
Duke  of  Devonshire  was  called  to  the  Chair,  on  the  motion  of  Sir  John 
Thorold,  seconded  by  Mr.  Adeane. 
The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  of  the  Council,  held  on  February  3,  1909, 
were  taken  as  read  and  approved. 
The  Earl  of  Leicester,  G.C.V.O.,  C.M.G.,  and  Mr.  James  Bruton  (Mayor  of 
Gloucester)  were  elected  as  Governors,  and  eighty-two  new  Members  were 
admitted  into  the  Society  under  By-law  2. 
The  Duke  of  Devonshire  presented  a Report  from  the  Special  Committee 
appointed  on  December  9,  1908,  to  consider  applications  from  various  Com- 
mittees for  increased  grants.  With  the  exception  of  the  Journal,  His  Grace 
said,  the  Report  contained  no  recommendation,  and  he  thought  that  as  far  as 
