Annual General Meeting , December 9, 1908. xlix 
The Council had been favoured with a most cordial invitation from the 
Liverpool City Council to hold the Society’s Annual Show in that city in 1910, 
and the Lord Mayor of Liverpool had very kindly attended the Council Meet- 
ing that day, with other Members of his Council and Members of the Royal 
Lancashire Agricultural Society, to support the invitation which had been 
previously tendered. He need hardly say that the Council had most heartily 
accepted that invitation, and they looked forward with much pleasure to the 
holding of their Show in Lancashire in 1910, in connection with which they 
were assured of the full support of the Royal Lancashire Society. 
There was one matter which had been frequently mentioned at General 
Meetings, and that was the question of membership. It was the only matter 
that gave the Council any cause for feeling disappointed in connection with 
the working of the year. He found that, in spite of the efforts that have been 
made to obtain new recruits, there was only a net increase of something like 
forty-nine since the last Annu&l Meeting. Of course, death had been very hard 
on Members of the Society, and they had to deplore a great many losses, but he 
admitted that he had been in hopes that they might have done more than they 
had done during the past twelve months to obtain Members. Suggestions had 
very often been but forward at the General Meeting as to ways in which to re- 
cruit Members. He himself felt confident that everything that could be done 
by the Council was being done with a view of obtaining Members. To quote 
an expression used at the Council Meeting that day by the Chairman of their 
Finance Committee, they were making every effort to see that for every 1Z. ex- 
pended the Members of the Society got full value for it. There was only one 
way to add to the List of Members, and that was by individual and personal 
exertions of every Member of the Society. If every one succeeded in getting 
one or two additional Members, they would, of course, have a very large 
increase by this means. He would be very glad to receive suggestions from 
those present as to what should be done to induce more Members to join. 
Every Member might use his influence by making more widely known the 
advantages which the Society afforded to its subscribers. Possibly the mere 
fact of a successful Show might attract a considerable number, but he wished 
to impress upon them most strongly that the Society’s operations were by no 
means restricted to the holding of a Show. That was no doubt the primary, 
and possibly the most attractive portion of the work, but in almost every other 
sphere, although a man might not be an exhibitor, they were doing something 
to benefit every one engaged in agriculture. For instance, he might mention, in 
passing, that the question of the adulteration of feeding-stuffs and manures had 
been occupying, and was still occupying, the constant attention of the Council. 
Certain matters had been brought to their notice, and it had been decided that 
a statement should be circulated to all Members of the Society calling attention 
to various facts, and they had also taken steps to bring certain facts to the 
attention of the Board of Agriculture. He only quoted that as one instance of 
the work the Society was doing in addition to holding an Annual Show, and 
although an agriculturist might not necessarily be an exhibitor at Shows, yet 
he thought in the Journal and other benefits which a Member received he got 
very good value for his money. That was the only matter he had to make any 
criticism upon, and he hoped that with increased prosperity and increased use- 
fulness they might be able to induce a considerable number of Members to 
join. As the Report of the Council had been printed and circulated to every 
Member of the Society, the meeting would probably be willing that it should 
be taken as read. 
Adoption of Report. 
Mr. George Gibbons (Bath) had much pleasure in moving the adoption of 
the Report. He was glad to see that prizes were again to be offered for farms, 
and he was also pleased to observe the stand which the Society had taken 
against the importation of foreign cattle. He congratulated the President and 
Council upon the splendid work that had been performed during the past 
