70 TiMEHRI. 
The Secretary reported that, owing to the resignation- 
of Mr. S. M. Bellairs through sickness, Mr. Gillespie 
had been ele6led Secretary of the Agricultural Committee, 
and Mr. G. F. Franks, Vice-Chairman of the Book Com- 
mittee. 
The following Government Communication to the 
Secretary in reference to the request of the Society for 
an experiment in growing Crowa fibre at Christianburg 
was read ;— 
Sir, — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of 
your letter of the nth instant, enquiring whether the 
Government would undertake an experiment of growing 
" Crowa Fibre" at Pin. Christianburg. 
2. In reply I am desired by the A6ling Governor to 
forward to you a copy of a minute from the Government 
Botanist to whom your letter was referred, and to state 
that the experiment will be tried on the lines suggested 
therein. 
I have, &c., 
J. HAMPDEN KING. 
From Government Botanist to Government Secretary, 
I do not think it necessary to go to the expense of 
planting and keeping clean and in good cultivation an 
acre, without ascertaining first by trial whether the plant 
will thrive on the land. A few square roods, fairly 
sele6led, and planted would he ample to show this, and 
cost very little. The question of the suitability of the 
land would thus be settled in a few months. If it proved 
satisfa6lory the larger area might then be put in. The 
question of yield per acre can be more easily tested by a 
