AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 27, 21 October 1843, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

In another column of our paper .we publish a part of the Report which has been agreed upon by this society. Most of our readers will perceive that it is in some respects different from the reports of similar societies in the mother country ; it contains no account of the actual proceedings of the society. There is certainly a long list of office bearers prefixed to the report ; but we find no mention made of the manner in which they have been elected, of their duties, or the qualification of members. This is a defect. There is no specific idea given of the objects and intentions of this society, or of the good they have already done, or of their future and prospective operations. N othing of this kind is disclosed. Throughout the whole concern not the slightest revelation is made to the reader as to what the society is, has done, or intends doing ? He will certainly from the name infer that it is an agricultural society, but he will in vain travel through the 27 pages to find out any thing of the real operations. It may be said, however, that there is a peculiarity both in the state of the Society and Colony which will, to a certain extent, explain if not excuse this apparent forgetfulness of the real objects of a report of this kind. Both the Society and the Agriculture of this Colony are in their infancy. This society has only been formed for a short period, and cannot consequently have much to say as regards the past, ■ but we might have certainly expected a little more information re-

garding the future. But our friends at honjf must not expect too much from us. The oljf ject of the present report is evidently mojg to convey to them some definite idea of till capabilities of Now Zealand than to give If flattering or flourishing account of the gre|| deeds of the present settlers. Perhaps thill was the wiser and the better plan, inasmucjH as by attempting to show that we had docS a great deal, it might have been only <]], | covered that we" had done almost nothings | that we had been mere cumberers ou ttj gound, tares growing up where the "ffheai should have been. But however defectivl the present report may be considered in thijf respect, it is certainly a valuable documetjl to place in the hands of the emigrant, M whom it will convey a very accurate and a very correct idea of the generj| state of the country. If it says little tIM is unfavourable, it certainly does not stafi too much on the other side. Indeed it lia}! too scrupulously avoided this, and so fs| may be subjected to blame. The committej of the Agricultural Society appear to harti been nervously afraid of subjecting them! selves to any imputation of this kind. Ok I readers will not of course expect that %»- should say any thing about this report as si literary production, praise or dispraise in thi i respect would only manifest bad taste ; an >, as a literary production we have nothing $ do with it. Our readers will judge of ittjd its merits in another respect. r