50 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
property now stands at j6 16,488 I??-, in the New Three per 
Cents. 
The chemical investigations instituted by the Society are 
in a state of favorable progress in the laboratory of Professor 
Voelcker, the consulting chemist to the Society, who is 
occupied in the experiments as to the most efficacious means 
of applying guano to the land, and also on the action of 
superphosphate of lime on different soils of known composi¬ 
tion. During the past season he has been engaged in making 
field experiments' on the wheat and mangold crops, the 
results of which will appear in a future volume of the 
Journal. 
During the past summer a threatening disease known as 
the smallpox in sheep made its appearance in Wiltshire. 
The origin still remains in some doubt. Professor Simonds, 
the veterinary professor of the Society, proceeded to the 
spot, and deemed it prudent at once to order the isolation of 
the affected and inoculation of the unaffected animals, thus 
preventing the extension of the disease in its ordinary or 
natural manner. The disease is now completely exterminated 
in Wilts, and exists in one flock only in Berkshire. The 
professor delivered lectures on the subject at large meetings 
in Warminster and Salisbuiy, and attended several fairs in 
the county, with the view of preventing any diseased sheep 
being exposed for sale. This precautionary measure appears 
to have been whollv efficacious. 
The council have taken measures for obtaining a greater 
number of nominations from which to select the judges for 
the country meetings, and will esteem it a favour if the mem¬ 
bers of the Society at large will from time to time transmit to 
the secretary the names of men, not only disinterested in 
themselves, but fully qualified by their abilities and experi¬ 
ence for the arduous task confided to them. 
The metropolitan meeting in Battersea Park has proved 
eminently successful in carrying out the objects of the 
Society, although the expenses incurred have entailed a 
heavy charge on its general funds. The interest attached to 
the exhibition of live stock on that occasion was increased by 
the numerous specimens of foreign stock sent over at a great 
expense by the Dutch, French, Saxon, and Swiss govern¬ 
ments, as a token of friendly regard to the Society and the 
international character of the meeting. 
The members were honoured by the gracious presence of 
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and with numerous 
other royal and distinguished personages, who all expressed 
themselves highly gratified at the number of the stock, the 
