The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-23 00:00:00

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIE2Y OF

ENGLAND.

The annual meeting of this society took place
yesterday at Hanover-square Rooms—the president,
Mr. Thompson, in the chair. Among those present
were Lord Walsingham, Sir Henry Vavasour, Sir
Walter Stirling, Sir Massey Lopes, Mr. Edward
Johnson, Mr. Dent, M.P., and Mr. J. C. Morton.
After the adoption of the house list to supply the
vacancies in council, on the motion of Lord WAL-
SINGIIA3I, seconded by Sir MASSEY LorEs, the Duke
of Richmond was elected president for the ensuing
year.
The Secretary (Mr. HALL DARE) read the follow-
ing report :

Tile council have to report that since last De-
c ;mber the society has lost by deaths and resigna-
tions 226 governors and members, while 5 governors
a id 173 members have during the same period been
enrolled on its list, which is now constituted as fol-
lows :-77 life governors, 82 annual governors,
1,388 life members, 3,903 annual members, and 15
honorary members, making a total of 5,465. The
council have elected the Right Hon. Lord Tredegar
and the Right Hon. Lord Chesham to be trustees in
the room of the late Sir John Shelley, Bart., and
the late Lord Feversham ; the Right Hon. Earl
Cathcart a vice-president, in the room of the late
Marquis of Exeter, K.G. ; his Grace the Duke of
Devonshire, the Right Hon. Sir John Trollope,
Bart., M.P., Mr. Wm. Hassell, of Bubney, Whit-
church, Salop, and Mr. Jas. Webb, of Springhill,
Fladbury, Pershore, Worcestershire, to be members
of council in the room of Lord Tredegar and Lord
Chesham, elected trustees, and Sir Edward Kerri-
son, Bart., and Earl Cathcart elected vice-presi-
dents. The Bury St. Edmunds meeting to be held
in the week commencing Monday, the 15th July,
postponed from 1866 in consequence of the preva-
lence of the cattle plague, promises to be unusually
large in the display of implements. The entries of
horses, sheep, pigs, and poultry will remain open as
usual till the Ist of June, but the Privy Council
having decided not to allow any exhibitions of store
stock to take place during the ensuing summer,
the council have been compelled to withdraw that
portion of the prize-sheet relating to cattle. The
society have therefore increased the amount offered
in prizes for horses £3OO, which, with £5O added by
the local committee, makes the total amount for
horse prizes £1,565. The council have decided,
subject to the usual conditions, to hold their coun-
try meeting next year at Leicester. Lectures have
been delivered before the members by Professor
Simonds, on diseases in sheep ; and by Professor
Voelcher on the relative value of different kinds of
purchased food, with especial reference to their
manurial properties; and a discussion has taken
place on the reclamation of land from the sea, and
the formation of tidal and other banks. The im-
provement of the education of the agricultural
classes has been the subject of much consideration
by the council, and they have voted £3OO for the
promotion of that object during the ensuing year,
subject to the following conditions :—The candi-
dates for the society's honours and prizes must be
between the ages of 18 and 25 years, and must pro-
duce satisfactory certificates and have received a
good general education. They must also satisfy exa-
miners appointed by the council that they possess a
competent knowledge of the science and practice of
agriculture, of book-keeping, and of one or more of
the following subjects :-1. Agricultural Chemistry.
2. Mechanics in their application to agriculture. 3.
Surveying, Veterinary Science, Geology aud Botany.
The council invite special attention to the number
of the journal lately issued. It will be in the re-
collection of the members of the society that soon
after decision was made not to hold a country
meeting last summer, the council resolved to vote
the requisite funds for a special inquiry into the
results of steam cultivation in England and
Wales. The committee appointed ti conduct this
inquiry have lately reported that they have con-
cluded their labours, and that, notwithstanding the
very umfavourable character of the summer and
autumn of 1866, they are satisfied that the work
has been well and thoroughly done. They state
that the reports of the committees of inspection oc-
cupy 3:30 pages of the journal, and have been pre-
pared at a cost of £lB ). Independently of this
amou'it, which may properly be classed among the
journal expenses, the whole cost of inquiry has been
£692. The wideness of the area over which this
investigation has extended, and the magnitude of
the interest involved, give to these reports an almost
national character, and the numerous lessons to bo
derived from their careful perusal, both in the way
of encouragement and of warning, will be fully ap-
preciated not only by those engaged in steam culti-
vation, but by that much more numerous body who
are anxiously endeavouring to satisfy themselves
whether or no they may safely take a part in this
latest and most powerful development of the re-
sources of British agriculture."
After some discussion the report was adopted.
A discussion took place with regard to the reap-
pearance of the cattle plague in certain places in the
metropolis and the danger of its extension to other
parts of the country. Several speakers complained
that the Government measure introduced in the
House of Lords the previous night did not appear
to be sufficient to meet the evil ; and it was suggested
that a deputation from the council should wait upon
the Lords of the Privy Council to urge upon them
the necessity of more stringent provisions. The
result of the discussion was that on the motion of
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during the prevalence of cattle disease in the
countries from which they are brought."
The proceedings terminated with a cordial vote of
thanks to the president.
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