194 TlMEHRI. 
tising, he had no doubt considerable improvements 
would take place, and an industrial population of the 
right kind ultimately result. 
Theirs was the only society in the colony which con- 
cerned itself with the general progress of the country. 
It was a literary institution as well as a scientific, 
agricultural and commercial society. Unlike so many 
other similar bodies, which had existed for but a short 
time, theirs had held up its head for nearly half a 
century. It was now in its forty-eighth year, and they 
would soon have to think of celebrating their jubilee. 
There had been Agricultural and Philosophical societies 
previous to the year 1844 when the late Mr. Campbell 
set to work and started this Society. The Demerara 
and Essequebo Agricultural Society came to grief some 
three years before. The meetings were in the planters' 
houses and usually after dinner, when the Members 
discussed the burning questions of the day, emancipa- 
tion and the differential duties. The founders of the 
present Society thought it better to exclude political 
discussion from their Meetings, with the result that, 
although these were perhaps a little tamer than some 
others, there were fewer causes of dissension. Mr. 
Davis told them at the last Meeting that he should like to 
see the Society worthy of its name, both as regards Agri- 
culture and Commerce. He (the President) would like it 
to be that and something more — a Society from which, 
not only planters and merchants, but artisans and 
labourers, could derive benefit. This was already to a 
certain extent the case with the Society's Museum, 
which was the resort of thousands of all classes of the 
community. He hoped they would iiave some good 
