Report of Society's Meetings. 377 
meeting for the election of office-bearers for the ensuing 
year, and he hoped to see a large attendance. 
The Secretary read a report from the Agricultural 
Committtee referring to the steps taken for carrying out 
the intentions of the Society in regard to the appropria- 
tion of the sum of $2,000 placed at the disposal of the 
Agricultural Committee for the experimental growth of 
economic plants and more particularly the cultivation of 
fibre-producing plants. The report also gave the results 
of an experimental shipment of limes to the United 
States, kindly presented by the Hon. B. Howell Jones, 
which showed a loss of $18 90, on 10 brls. each 
containing 1,200 limes which were sold in New York 
for $5. 
The President explained that he had, as Chairman of 
the Botanic Gardens Dire6lorate, addressed a communi- 
cation to the Government applying for 50 acres of land 
on the Demerara River, 25 or 30 miles from town, for 
the formation of an experimental nursery for the cultiva- 
tion of economic plants which w T ere found not to thrive 
well at the Gardens in town owing to their proximity 
to the strong sea breezes ; and he was happy to say he 
had just received a favourable reply from the Govern- 
ment on the subjeft. 
Mr. Nind deprecated the establishment of nursery 
gardens so far from town, and thought the objeft should 
be to benefit land-owners on the coast land by showing 
what could be profitably cultivated within the range of 
the adverse sea breezes referred to. He criticised the 
want of enterprise in the Botanic Gardens in the cul- 
tivation of the minor industries, more especially that of 
the fibres, instancing the plant Pandanus odoratissimus 
