MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART 
8 
TRANSACTIONS OP TUB 
AUSTRALIAN HORTICULTURAL AND AGRI¬ 
CULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Fifth Monthly Meeting, June 2, 1857- 
nELD AT THE ROYAL IIOTEL. 
Members of Council present—Rev. George E. Turner, 
Vice-President; Messrs. F. Mitchell, 0. Qttlcy, Win. 
Me Donell, M. Guilfoyle, Wm. Carron, F. Cieswjck, J, 
G. Me Kean. W. S. Wall, R. Driver, T. W. Shepherd, 
and II. K. Webb.— The Rev. George E. Turner, Vice- 
President, in the chair. 
The minutes of the last meeting wero read and con¬ 
firmed. 
The Secretary read a letter from his Excellency the 
Governor-General, President, excusing attendance, and 
enclosing a copy of his address, read at the opening meet¬ 
ing, together with two circular Icttei's, which have been 
addressed to the magistrates of the colony and the clerks 
of the bench. 
The following resolution was proposed by Mr. F. Mit¬ 
chell, and seconded by Mr 0. On lev, ami carried una¬ 
nimously — That the thanks of the Society be presented to 
His Excellency the Governor-General for his kindness in 
having his address printed, and forwarded w ith a circular- 
letter to the magistrates and clerks of the bench through¬ 
out the colony. 
Mr. W. SiiPriTEnn read a paper on Native Plants, and 
the Pastoral, Agricultural, and Horticultural resources of 
Australia— being No. 5 of a series on the same subject. 
The Vice-President stated, that ho could substantiate 
the fact mentioned by Mr. Shepherd, with respect to the 
production of our land during wet seasons, having known 
fifteen tons of stalk, and eighty bushels of millet seed to 
be produced to the acre, and this on land of a very in¬ 
ferior cliavacter. 
Mr. J. E. Blake read a paper or* Australian wines, 
which ho prefaced by remarking, that ho only intended 
tiiis to be an introduction to tlie subject,’ 
Mr. Shepherd spoke of the desirability of having our 
wines exhibited In a proper way. 
Mr. Blake bad considered this matter, and mentioned 
the mode adopted by the hunter’s river vineyard asso¬ 
ciation. We nave no wines for sale—I cannot get enough 
to supply the demand. 
In answer to a question, respecting the keeping quali¬ 
ties of our wines, Mr. Blake said—The fermentation docs 
not cease in two years. I have no difficulty in keeping it 
sound. I do not think there is any bad wine made now : 
my system is to ferment in tubs, holding about a hogshead. 
1 believe that this will be a splendid wine country. 
The Secretary read a paper from Mr. John Gelding, 
written in answer to a question respecting the Dioscorea 
Japonica, asked by one of the members at the last monthly 
meeting, 
A communication was read from Mr. D. Dunlop, on 
stumping, advocating the burning out process, which Mr. 
Shepherd thought impoverished the land in the vicinity of 
the stumps. 
Air. Douglas gave notice of a motion for the appoint¬ 
ment of a committee to consider the advisability of com¬ 
piling a manual of Agriculture and Horticulture, by the 
members of this society. 
No ballot being demanded. Captain Johnson, R. N., of 
Armandale, was declared a member of this society. 
Mr. M. Guilfoyle projiosed Mr. G. I). Lange ; Mr. Gey 
proposed Mr. Ridley; Mr. Webb proposed Dr. James 
Fullerton, as members of this society. 
The following notices of papers were given for the next 
meeting; — Mr.’S. E. Blake, continuation of paper on 
Australian wines; Mr. L. W. Shepherd, continuation of 
paper on Native Plants, and the Pastoral, Agricultural, 
and Horticultural resources of the colony. 
The next monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, 
7 th July. 
The paper on Australian Wine, read by Mr. Blake at 
this mooting will be found at page 16. 
THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF 
NEW SOUTH WALES. 
As it is intended to form a permanent record 
in the pages of this journal of the proceed¬ 
ings of the Philosophical Society of New 
South Waleg, it would appear to he desirable 
in the first number to give a short account 
of its foundation, with a list of its officers, 
and a copy of its .fundamental rules. 
The present Governor-General, Sir Wm. 
Denison, on his arrival in the colony and 
assuming the government, feeling the im¬ 
portance of such a society, made enquiries 
whether there was any association of the 
kind in existence, and found that there had 
previously been a. society called the Austra¬ 
lian Society. This, however, had discon¬ 
tinued its operations, and was esteemed 
extinct. 
By the exertions of his Excellency, in 
connection with some of the old officials, a 
new society was organised, which received, 
at a public meeting, held on May 9th, 1856, 
at the School of Arts, the name of the Pm- 
LOSoiuncAL Society of New South Wales. 
At the same meeting, the following gentle¬ 
men were elected office -bearers :—President, 
Ilis Excellency Sir W. T. Denison. Go¬ 
vernor-General ; Vice-Presidents, Sir Chas. 
Nicholson and E. Deas Thompson, Esq., 
C. B.; Treasurer, R. A. A. Morchead, Esq.; 
Secretaries, H. G. Douglass, M.D., Profes¬ 
sor Smith, M,D., and Captain W ard, K.E.; 
Council of Management, G. K. Holden, 
Esq., Professor Pell, John Thompson, Esq., 
the Rev. G. E, Turner, R. J. Want, Esq., 
and Professor Woolley. These gentlemen 
remain now the office-bearers of the society, 
with the exception of the Rev. G. E. Tur¬ 
ner, who retired at the last annual meeting, 
in consequence of his residing some distance 
from Sydney. The llcv. W. Scott was 
elected to supply the vacancy. 
The Society now numbers. 178 members. 
The following are the fundamental rules 
of the society :•— 
Object of the. Society. —The object of the Society is 
to receive,’at its stated meetings, original papers on sub¬ 
jects of Science, Ait, Literature, and Philosophy. 
Office-Bearers. — The office-bearers to consist of a Pre¬ 
sident, two Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, and two or more 
Secretaries. „ , r 
Council of Management .— The Council of Manage¬ 
ment to consist of the office-bearers and six ordinarv 
members; three tu form a quorum. 
Ordinary Members.— Candidates for admission as ordi¬ 
nary members to bo proposed and seconded at one of the 
stated meetings of the society* The vote on their admis¬ 
sion to take place, bv ballot at the next subsequent meet¬ 
ing ; the assent of the majority of the members votiDg at 
the latter meeting being requisite for the admission of the 
I candidate. 
