1 839-1845.J ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,. 
157 
In 1839 Buckland, whose natural talent for organising 
societies was further excited by his strong conviction of 
the intimate connection between Agriculture and Geology, 
succeeded, together with Sir Thomas Acland, Mr. Philip 
Pusey, and others, in offering a reception at Oxford to the 
new science of Agriculture as enthusiastic as that which 
the University City had accorded seven years previously to 
the sister science of Geology. The founder of the Agricul¬ 
tural Society, and its first President, Lord Spencer, was 
a keen agriculturist. Dr. Gilbert, the Vice-Chancellor 
(afterwards Bishop of Chichester), was a great friend of 
Dr. Buckland’s, so there was no difficulty in inducing the 
University authorities to allow the quadrangle of Queen’s 
College to be roofed over for the reception of the expected 
visitors. This was considered a wonderful achievement,, 
and it took a fortnight to accomplish. On the evening 
before the meeting two thousand guests sat down to dinner 
in the covered quadrangle. Buckland made an eloquent 
speech, detailing the many advantages which the promoters 
of the Society hoped would arise from associating practice 
with science. Many allusions record the effect produced 
by his address ; but at that time there were no reporters,, 
and, therefore, no connected record is preserved of this 
and many other speeches. It is curious to see, as has 
been already noticed, how meagre the reports were, for 
many years to come, even of large meetings like the British 
Association. The first day of the meeting finished with 
another large dinner in the quadrangle, where Sir Thomas 
Acland proposed the toast of Dr. Buckland, President of 
the Geological Society, who had done so much for science 
