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been increased by the election of 143 new members. At the sixth anniversary of the Society, in May, 1844, the number of members was 6927, of whom 274 had been elected in the preceding three and a half months; and there had previously been struck off the list 249 names members who were either dead or h not paid their subscriptions. The numbe: of life-governors (who pay on admissio the sum of 501.) was 95 in May, 1844; and there were 214 annual governors, who pay 5l. yearly; of life members, who pay lo on admission, there were 442; and of ar nual members, who pay 11. yearly, ther were 6161. At the above date, the funded property of the Society amounte to 77007., and the current cash balance t 2000l. On the 26th of March, 1841. the Society received a charter of incor poration, on which it assumed the desig nation of the Royal Agricultural Society for England.' By the 22nd rule of the Society, "No question shall be discussed at any of its meetings of a politics tendency, or which shall refer to any matter to be brought forward, or pend

first proceedings was to commence a sur vey of all the English counties on a uniform plan, which brought out, for the information of the class most interested in adopting them, improved practices, originating in individual enterprise or intelligence, and which were confined to a particular district. The Surveys' are many of them imperfectly executed, but they were useful at the time, in developing more rapidly the agricultural resources of the country. During the years of scarcity at the end of the last and beginning of the present century, the Board of Agriculture took upon itself to suggest and, as far as possible, provide remedies for the dearth-by collecting information and making reports to the government on the state of the crops. The statistics which the Board collected were also at times made use of by the minister, or at least were believed to be so, in connection with his schemes of taxation. The Board encouraged experiments and improvements in agriculture by prizes; and the influence which it possessed over the provincial agricultural societies excited and combined the efforts of all in one direc-ing, in either of the Houses of Parlia tion. The Board of Agriculture was ment;" and this rule is made permanen dissolved in 1816. The Smithfield Cattle by the charter of incorporation. Club, which has been in existence half a objects of the Society, as set forth in thcentury, and some of the provincial agri- charter of incorporation, are: 1. To em cultural societies, especially the Bath and body such information contained in agri West of England Society, which com- cultural publications and in other scient menced the publication of its Transac- fic works as has been proved by practica tions' nearly seventy years ago, have been experience to be useful to the cultivator very useful auxiliaries, if not promoters of the soil. 2. To correspond with agr of agricultural improvement. Until within cultural, horticultural, and other scie the last few years, the exertions of Agri- tific societies, both at home and abroar cultural Societies have been too exclu- and to select from such corresponden sively devoted to the improvement of all information which, according to th stock. opinion of the Society, may be likely " lead to practical benefit in the cultivati of the soil. 3. To pay to any occupa of land, or other person, who shall dertake, at the request of the Society. ascertain by any experiment how such information leads to useful resu in practice, a remuneration for any ler that he may incur by so doing. 4. T encourage men of science in their atter tion to the improvement of agricultura implements, the construction of farm buildings and cottages, the application chemistry to the general purposes

With the establishment of the Royal Agricultural Society of England' a new æra commenced in the history of institutions for the improvement of English agriculture. This Society, when it was established, in May, 1838, consisted of 466 members. At the first anniversary, in May, 1839, the number of members had increased to 1104; in May, 1840, there were 2569 members; in December of the same year, 4262; in December, 1841, 5382; in May, 1842, 5834; and by the following May, 1843, the number had

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tural class in every part of the countr In 1841 there were only twenty-three these bodies in existence, and at the ha yearly meeting in May, 1844, it w stated that the number was not less th one hundred. A very judicious arrang ment has been made relative to the pri distributed at the local meetings, whi are now given for operations in husba dry only, the premiums for stock bei furnished by the local association. T society is establishing an agricultu museum in Dublin for the reception

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society holds its annual show in the different towns of that county in rotation, a plan which is very successful in rendering them attractive. Farmers' clubs have also recently become more numerous. They are eminently practical; but the local results which they collect and discuss may be come applicable to other parts of the country placed under similar circumstances of aspect, soil, and situation. It would stimulate the exertions of these clubs, if a department of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society' were re-implements of husbandry, seeds, grass served for some of the best papers read at their meetings. The annual report of every farmers' club should be transmitted to the secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society; and the title at least of all papers read at the meetings during the year should be given in the Journal.'

The agriculture of Scotland has been largely indebted to the societies which have been established at different periods for its improvement. A 'Society of Improvers in the Knowledge of Agriculture in Scotland' was established in 1723, and some of its Transactions were published. The society becoming extinct was succeeded by another in 1755; and the society which now stands in the same relation to Scotland as the Royal Agricultural Society to England was established in 1784. It is entitled the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.' The constitution and proceedings of the society are as nearly as possible similar to the English society. The society publishes quarterly a very excellent Journal of its Transactions, which has at present a circulation of 2300. The Agricultural Museum at Edinburgh was assisted in 1844 by a parliamentary grant of 5000l.

In 1840 the Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland' was established on the plan of the Royal Agricultural Society of England; and in May, 1844, the number of subscribers was 581. The society already possesses funded property to the amount of 48591. Since its establishment great progress has been made in the formation of local societies in communication with the central society, which is the best means of ensuring the support and co-operation of the agricul

&c.; it circulates practical informati connected with husbandry by means cheap publications; and one of its obje is the organization of an agricultu college.

In England there are no institutions a public nature which combine scienti with practical instruction in agricultu The advantage of establishing such institution was suggested by the pe Cowley; and in 1799 Marshall publish Proposals for a Royal Institute or C lege of Agriculture and other branches Rural Economy.' There is the Sibthorpi Professorship of Rural Economy in University of Oxford; at the Universi of Edinburgh, a Professorship of ag culture; and at the University of Ab deen there are lectures on agricultu The. botanical, geological, and chemic professorships and lectures in the d ferent universities are, to a certain exter auxiliary to the science of agricultur In the absence of such establishments the one at Grignon, in France, your men are sent as pupils to farmers in t counties where the best system of ag culture is practised, especially Norfol Lincolnshire, Northumberland, and t Lothians; but although this may be good plan for obtaining practical know ledge, it is imperfect as regards the know ledge gained of the scientific principle of agriculture. The Earl of Ducie ha established a model or example fart on his estate in Gloucestershire, wher the scientific principles of agriculture ar carried into operation; but this is ver different from an institution which im parts a knowledge of these principles. I 1839 the late B. F. Duppa, Esq., publishe

a short pamphlet entitled Agricultural land. (Committee of Council on EducaColleges, or Schools for the Sons of tion, 1844.) Farmers,' which contains many useful suggestions for the establishment of such institutions. He laboured indefatigably in the promotion of this object, and probably would have succeeded but for his premature death. It is not improbable, indeed, that before long an agricultural college will be established in England, with an example-farm attached to it, as the Cirencester Farmers' Club, under the auspices of several noblemen and the principal landowners of the district, have issued proposals for such an institution; and in May, 1844, the club announced by advertisement their intention to apply for a charter of incorporation; and also advertised for tenders of farms of from 300 to 600 acres.

In Ireland the government affords direct encouragement to agricultural education through the instrumentality of the Board of National Education. The persons who are trained for the office of teachers in the national schools are required to attend the lectures of a professor of agricultural chemistry; and during a portion of the time occupied in preparing for their future duties they are placed at the model farm at Glassneven, where they are lodged, and where, during five mornings of the week, they attend lectures on the principles of agriculture; and an examination subsequently takes place. On the sixth morning they are taken over the farm, and the operations going forward are explained to them. The Board admits a certain number of in-door pupils for the term of at least two years, who pay 10l. a year for board, lodging, and education. They work on the farm, attend the lectures, and receive such instruction as qualifies them to fill the office of bailiffs. There is likewise a class of schoolmasters trained to conduct agricultural schools. It is intended to establish twenty-five agricultural model schools in different parts of the country. The Agricultural Seminary at Templemoyle, six miles from Londonderry, is one of the most successful experiments which has yet been made in the United Kingdom to establish an institution for agricultural education. It was founded by the North West of Ireland Society. The plan is in some degree taken from the institution established by M. Fellenberg, at Hofwyl, in Switzerland. In 1841 the house contained 70 young men, as many as it can accommodate and the farm afford instruction to; and there were 40 applications for admission. The size of the farm is 172 acres. An account of the institution and of the course of instruction will be found in the Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education,' p. 565, 8vo. ed.

Schools of industry, similar to the one established by the late Rev. W. L. Rham at Winkfield, and by the Earl of Lovelace at Ockley, may be made the medium of imparting an acquaintance with the principles of agriculture, which at present the labouring classes do not usually obtain. To Winkfield school there are attached about four acres of good land; and under the guidance of so accomplished an agriculturist as Mr. Rham the scholars enjoyed the advantage of pursuing all the details of the most skilful husbandry, and undergoing a course of training in garden and farm management of no ordinary excellence. On Mrs. Davies Gilbert's estate there is a school of manual labour, and the principle on which it is established might perhaps be made conducive on a large scale to the two objects of enabling the scholars to acquire the elements of learning and of fitting them by proper industrial training to become expert and industrious in field and garden work. At the school here spoken of the master is paid one penny per week for each boy; but the chief emolument of the master arises from the labour of the boys on the school land. Their time is divided into two portions, one part of which Such societies as the Scottish Agriculthe master devotes to their instruction tural Chemistry Association, established in reading, writing, &c., and in return at the close of 1843, are very well calcufor which they employ another por-lated to advance the progress of sciention of their time in cultivating his tific agriculture; and they can be es

ment of a farm. 2. The principles of rural economy applied to the employment of the capital and stock of the farm. 3. The most approved methods of keeping farming accounts. 4. The construction of farm-buildings, roads, and implements used in husbandry. 5. Vegetable physiology and botany. 6. Horticulture. 7. Forest science. 8. The general principles of the veterinary art. 9. The laws relating to property. 10. Geometry ap plied to the measurement and surveying of land.

tablished in any district where a sufficient | ciples of husbandry, and on the manage number of subscribers can be obtained to command the services of a competent chemist. Associations of this nature show how much can be done in this country without any assistance from the state. The object of the Scottish association is the diffusion of existing information, theoretical and practical, by means of occasional expositions, addresses, and correspondence; and secondly, the enlargement of the present store of knowledge by experimental investigations of practical agriculturists in the field and of the chemist in the laboratory. Landed proprietors who subscribe twenty shillings yearly, and tenants who subscribe ten shillings yearly, are entitled to have performed analyses of soils, manures, &c., according to a scale fixed upon; and if more than a certain number are required, a charge of one-half above the scale is made. Letters of advice, without an analysis being required, are charged 2s. 6d., and at present the number which each subscriber may write is not limited. Every agricultural society subscribing 51. yearly to the funds of the Association is entitled to one lecture from the chemist; if 10l. to two lectures, &c. Counties which subscribe 20l. annually are entitled to appoint a member of the Committee of Management. The Society in question has raised a fund sufficient to defray all expenses for the ensuing four years. The chemist of the association has his laboratory at Edinburgh, but he is to visit various parts of Scotland according to certain regulations.

In France there are schools assisted by the state, where young persons can obtain instruction in agriculture both practical and theoretical. The principal institution of this kind is that at Grignon, where one of the old royal palaces and the domain attached to it, consisting of 1185 acres of arable, pasture, wood, and marsh land, has been given up on certain conditions. The professors are paid by the government, and the pupils are of two grades, one paying 481. a year, and the other 361. For the purpose of imparting theoretical knowledge, courses of lectures are given on the following subjects:-1. The rational prin

11. Geometrical drawing of farming implements. 12. Physics as applied to agriculture. 13. Chemistry, as applied to the analysis of soils, manures, &c. 14. Certain general notions of mineralogy and geology. 15. Domestic medicine, applied to the uses of husbandmen. The practical part of the education is conducted on the following system:The pupils are instructed in succession in all the different labours of the farm Some, for instance, under the direction of the professor of the veterinary art, perform the operations required by the casualties which are continually occurring in a numerous stock of cattle. Others are appointed to attend to the gardens, and to the following departments: woods and plantations; inspection of repairs taking place on the premises; making of starch, cheese, and other articles; the pharmaceutical department; book-keeping and the accounts. A daily register is kept of the amount of the manure obtained from the cattle of every kind. A pupil newly entered is appointed to act with one of two years' standing; and at the end of each week all are expected to make a report, in the presence of their comrades, of whatever has been done during the week in their respective departments. The professor, who presides over the practical part of their education, explains on the spot the proper manner of executing the various field operations; and he also gives his lectures on these different processes at the time when they are in actual progress. The professors in each department render their courses as practical as possible;-the professor of botany by herborizations; the professor of chemistry by geological excursions;