undergone that full discussion in England, which it had done in this country. He was now hopeful that this objection would be removed, and he stated his intention, early in the ensuing session, of again calling the attention of Parliament to this import ant subject. The Society were highly sensible of the great attention and trouble bestowed by Sir George Clerk on this business.

In a matter of such magnitude and importance to all parts of the empire, as a general equalization of weights and measures, the meeting was of opinion, that any future expence, which the prosecution of this object might occasion, should be borne by the public, or by the counties, the society having charged itself exclusively with the expences hitherto incurred in maturing the measure.

CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL

SOCIETY.

Report respecting the intended Survey of the present State of Horticulture in Holland, Flanders, and the North of France. September 9, 1817.

Your council have the satisfaction of being able to inform you, that the horticultural survey ofthe Netherlands, which was recommended to the society two years ago, by Sir John Sinclair, is now carrying into execution.

The subscription which was set on foot some months ago, for raising one hundred guineas, with the view of defraying the unavoidable expence of this survey, had made such progress, that your council had no hesitation in making an offer of that sum to three gentlemen, who were, in their opinion, in every respect well qualified for the office, to assist in defraying their necessary expences.

The three gentlemen, who, at our request, have undertaken this important duty, are, first, Mr Patrick Ńeill, secretary to the society, whom we consider as one of the most distinguished scientific gardeners among the class of amateurs in Britain, and whose excellent writings on horticultural subjects do him very great honour. The second is Mr James Macdonald, who has been for many years gardener to his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, at Dalkeith Park, and who has enriched your memoirs by many useful practical observations, particularly on the improved culture of currants, onions, and other culinary vegetables, and who is justly esteemed one of the best practical gardeners in Scotland. And the third is Mr John Hay, who has for several years past been much distinguished as having furnished plans for the best new gardens, which have lately been formed in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, particularly that of Prestonhall, formed by the late Sir John Callender; that at Calderhouse, where much was done, by our sincerely lamented fellow member, the late Lord Torphichen; and that at Dalmeny Park, the seat of the Earl of Rosebery, where a garden is at present forming in a style that will do honour to Scotland. Mr Hay is also favourably known to you, by the plan which he lately presented to our society, for an experimental garden at Edinburgh, and for which our gold medal was deservedly awarded to him.

From three such intelligent and discerning surveyors, your council cannot help entertaining very sanguine expectations. It is indeed true, that, of late, horticulture, as well as agriculture, has made a more rapid progress in Scotland than perhaps in any other nation in Europe. But, for the commencement of our knowledge in gardening, we were much indebted to our continental neighbours, and particularly to the Dutch. Not many centuries have

elapsed, since, from them, we derived not only our best seeds, roots, and fruits, but even some of our most common esculent vegetables. History informs us, that, in the days of Malcolm Canmore, who reigned in Scotland about the end of the eleventh century, even the common garden lettuce, which then appeared only as a rare dainty at the royal table, was entirely imported from Holland, and was not at that time cultiva

ted in Scotland.

Since that period, indeed, such has been the progress of horticulture in Scotland, that we can now produce from gardens in the environs of Edinburgh, a dessert of fruits, which, for variety of kind, and delicacy of flavour, cannot be excelled, and, perhaps, hardly equalled, on the face of the globe. This, your annual festival of Pomona has repeatedly demonstrated; and we confidently trust, that, notwithstanding the present backward season, the competition of this day will afford additional proof of the skill of our operative gardeners.

Great, however, as our progress has been, much yet remains to be discovered; for in arts and sciences human invention has no bounds, and by the intelligent and discerning philosopher, useful discoveries have often been derived from observing the procedure even of the most ignorant labourer.

Your council need not, therefore, state to you the expectations which they entertain from the present horticultural survey of the Netherlands. The abilities of the men, whom they have induced to undertake this survey, are not unequal to the task; and the kingdom of Scotland does not, perhaps, at present, contain three men better qualified for such an undertaking. We confidently trust, that no horticultural knowledge worth importing, from improved varieties of the most common culinary vegetables, to

plans of orchards, gardens, and conservatories, on the most extended scale, will escape their discernment. We are not, therefore, without hopes, that this survey will do honour to our society, and be materially beneficial to Scotland. Nay, we even flatter ourselves with the expectation, that, by the publication of future volumes of the memoirs of our society, the benefits resulting from it may, in some degree, be extended to every corner of the civilized world.

Your council regret much, that the state of our funds does not permit us to bestow even an adequate pecuniary indemnification on those gentlemen who have undertaken this important mission. All we have hitherto been allowed to offer them is one hundred guineas, to aid in defraying their necessary expences. This sum we were autho rised by a former meeting to offer, for the expence of two of our members; but, as three gentlemen have, at our request, engaged in this survey, we hope the society will not object to the sum of fifty guineas to each of the three, to aid in defraying the charges of the journey; and we trust, that a subscription of a single guinea each, from such of our members as may wish to encourage this undertaking, will be fully sufficient to cover that expence, without, in any degree, encroaching on the ordinary funds of the society, already pledged for other useful purposes.

We cannot conclude this report without mentioning to the society, the very liberal conduct of his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch on this occasion, both by the manner in which he has granted leave of absence to Mr M'Donald, and bythe introductions which he has furnished to the continent, for promoting the success of our survey.

Respecting the progress made by our surveyors, we can only at present

inform the society, that they were safe. ly landed at Ostend, soon after leaving Edinburgh; and we trust, that at our next quarterly meeting, they will be

present in this room, to give you a report of the success with which their survey has been attended.

THE summer of 1816 had been so cold and wet, and the harvest so remarkably late, that, in the northern parts of Britain, the crops had scarcely all been carried from the fields before the beginning of the present year. In different parts of the Island, the labours of this important season might have been seen going on from the beginning of September till the middle of December; and much of the latest crops was accordingly of little or no value, and not worth securing, if they had not been necessary for the support of cattle during the winter. At the latter period, the greater part of the land intended for wheat remained to be sown, and was in a very unsuitable state for receiving the seed.

The present year commenced with more favourable weather. January and February were uncommonly mild and moderately dry; so that field-labour was very little interrupted, and a great deal of wheat was put in, both on the fallows and turnip lands. At the beginning of March, farmers, in most

instances, seemed to have recovered the ground they had lost, their work being nearly as far advanced as usual at this season. March, April, and May allowed all the spring seeds to be deposited in a dry bed; but the temperature was low, vegetation made little progress, and the ravages of the grub became very extensive. In the early part of June, the appearance of the crops was, with few exceptions, most unpromising, the plants being thin on the ground, stunted and feeble. About the middle of that month, a fortunate change occurred, which continued till August. Gentle showers, sunshine, and heat, during this period, not only spread health, vigour, and luxuriance over the fields, but seemed to have suddenly filled up the thin crops with new plants. But the hopes that now began to be formed were disappointed by the heavy rains that fell in August, which laid them down, and retarded their ripening. September, however, and the greater part of October, were favourable, the former remarkably so,

Reaping had begun partially in the south of England in August, before dry weather set in, and some of the earliest grain was therefore injured; but general harvest did not come on till September, and before the middle of October, nearly all the crops of England, and the south of Scotland, were secured in the best condition. In the Highlands of Scotland, however, the oats were still in the fields, and were not all gathered till the end of November. This month was, for the most part, wet; and toward the end

January..

With a view to the supply of the markets, and to the prices of 1817, it is necessary to observe, that crop 1816, which then came into consumption, had been deficient in a very extraordinary degree, as was to be expected from the very ungenial weather of that year. Though it is difficult, if not impossible, to estimate, with any near approach to accuracy, the extent of this deficiency, yet it seems to have been generally understood, that not more than half the quantity of sound marketable wheat, that is grown in Britain in ordinary years, was produced in 1816. In East Lothian, the first wheat-growing county in Scot.

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land, and not inferior, in this respect, in favourable seasons, to the average of England, this grain was computed to yield only about twelve bushels, or a quarter and a half the acre. Barley was a better crop than wheat, and also oats, except in high or cold situations, where much of this grain never came to maturity. Beans and peas did not return twice the seed. And potatoes were neither good nor plentiful. But crop 1815 had been abundant; and though it was evident, before midsummer 1816, that the produce of the latter year would be greatly below an average, and the harvest very late, yet prices did not rise so high as to open