462 
THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
party partook of a luncheon. The health of Messrs. Pond and Bonnington, pro- 
posed by Mr. Melhuish, was responded to by Mr. Pond, who said that their 
visit to Sydney had afforded them great pleasure, and they would always 
remember that afternoon’s trip with gratification. In conclusion, he thanked 
them all very heartily for their kindness, and, in drinking the health of those 
present, coupled with the toast the name of Mr. Harry Shillinglaw, to whose 
energy, tact, and ability the successful issue of the Conference was greatly due. 
Mr. Towle suitably responded on behalf of Mr. Shillinglaw. “ The Wholesale 
Trade ” was proposed by Mr. Sadler, and responded to by Mr. J. A. Rose 
(Elliott Bros.), and after Messrs. Sadler, Wells, and Towle had amused the 
company with some capital songs, a return was made to Sydney about 6 o’clock. 
Messrs. Pond and Bonnington left Sydney for Hew Zealand on Thursday, 
18th November, by the steamer Manajponri , when several Sydney pharmacists 
assembled on the quay to bid them bon voyage . 
There is at present in the Botanic Gardens a very interesting plant known 
as the Agave marmorata , of the order Amaryllideas. The stalk of the plant men- 
tioned is about 25 feet in height, and it is from the upper portion of this that 
flowers of a bright orange colour are seen in compact racemelets. It is believed 
that this is the only plant of the kind in the colony ; certainly it is the first 
one that has blossomed out into flowers. Although a native of North and South 
America, and allied to the American aloe plant, yet the Agave marmorata is 
quite a distinct species. The development of the plant is peculiar. After 
growing for fifteen or twenty years, according to the locality where it is planted, 
the plant, which gradually sends upwards the stalk above described, is seen to 
shrivel at the base, the stalk drawing the sap gradually upwards as it develops. 
After flowering, Hhe entire plant is seen to wither away and bear the appearance 
of being quite dead. This is not the case, however ; for soon a new and fresh 
plant, or rather, more properly speaking, a cluster of new plants is seen to spring 
up from the roots of the old one, and so it develops into a plant similar to that 
already described. 
At a meeting of the Board of Technical Education held at the offices, 
Phillip-street, on Wednesday, 24th November, several applications for the forma- 
tion of classes and the delivery of lectures in the country districts were 
considered. The instructor in agriculture reported that, from the state- 
ments of farmers and others with whom he was brought into contact during 
his reent lecturing tour, he believed that fully fifty students, willing to pay 
£100 per annum each, would attend an agricultural college if established in 
the colony. Reports were also received from the instructors in chemistry and 
applied mechanics respecting examinations of colonial soils and clays, made by 
them. Amongst others, the following recommendation' was adopted: — That Mr. 
P. J. Edmunds be engaged to deliver a course of six popular lectures in the 
Technical College on “ The Metals,” to be illustrated experimentally. 
The board of management of the Sydney United Friendly Societies’ Dis- 
pensary held a meeting on Tuesday, 30th November, to further proceed with 
the questions of selecting a site for the dispenary and appointing a dispenser. 
The site chosen is situate in Elizabeth-street, Hyde Park, probably the most 
central position as regards access from every part of the city that could have 
been chosen. It is anticipated that the dispensary will be opened on the 1st 
January next. 
The official lists of candidates who passed the senior and junior examina- 
tions at the University of Sydney at the public examinations held in the month 
of October have just been completed. It appears that the total number who 
presented themselves was 965, 107 being seniors, and 858 juniors. Of the former 
