sion he would advise the ploughmen to take better steps next year, and so complete their allotted por tion in the required time. Drunk amidst applause. Baud : " Weel may the keel row." Mr. Rattray rose to propose the "Health of the Working Committee," and in doing so defended the conduct of those gentlemen in fixing the limit of time in which the ploughing should be done. He contended there was plenty of time to plough a thud of an acre iv three and a half hours. It gave him great pleasure in ljoing present on that occasion, and meeting with so many agriculturists. Ho felt highly honoured in being chosen to act as one of the -judges, seeing tbat he was comparatively speaking a new colonist. By being piesent at agricultural meetings social feelings were engendeicd, and the farmers must profit fiotn such opportunities of inter course. The agricultural interest was the great sup port of Eugland in her greatness; without it she could not have become so powerful. Agiioultural societies at home wci c very numorous, but ho might tell them no society oould be carried on effectively without a good hoiking committee. He would therefore propose the health of the woiking com mittee of the New Zealand Agricultural Society. Drunk with cheers. Air by the Band. Mr. Robert Uobketson lesponded. He could assure them it wan ni> sinecure to get up a cattle show or a ploughing match. He had however always token a great inteicst in such raatteis since hs had come to the colony ; and eveiy year stiango to say he found they had given dissatisfaction to somebody. The working committee had dono all in their power to giVo satisfaction ; and to avoid any misappiehension the rules had beeu published relative to the conditions on winch the ploughmen would compete. Mr. King had stated that the ploughmen had not had sufficient time to flmsh their work, but -for his part he believed they had had plenty if they had gone the right way to woik. 