Agricultural and Commerc/al Society. 33 
heartenment that he came there month after month and 
saw the dwindling number of members who attended. 
How could they undertake to do anything to foster the 
agricultural and commercial interests of the colony 
when they did not get the support of the members 
who placed them in this position ? He made use of 
these words without any feeling, but with the earnest 
desire that they should be helped in their endeavours, 
small as they were, by the presence of members at their 
monthly meetings. Having made these remarks, it was 
hardly necessary for him to enlarge on the conclusions 
which led to this matter being entrusted entirely to the 
proje6led Board of Agriculture instead of to the Royal 
Agricultural and Commercial Society. He wished it 
could have been possible, because the task of the Govern- 
ment would have been rendered more easy. In all places 
there were Agricultural Societies, Chambers of Commerce* 
and various other bodies, self-formed and self-ele6led, 
and in addition to their existence, Agricultural Depart- 
ments had been created, were in existence and were 
armed with very great powers and had control of 
very considerable sums of money. They must begin 
on a small scale, because the colony was unfortu- 
nately not in a position to spend a large sum of money 
in regard to this matter. What he hoped to see was, 
that the public would be so satished with the result of 
the work which the proposed Board had to do that there 
would be no difficulty about voting the increased sums 
of money, and that the difficulty which at present existed 
would be lessened by the improvenisnt which would 
certainly be felt by the development of agriculture in the 
Colony and the opening up of the lands. Increased 
E 
