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Reference Department. —The attendance at the reference library has been larger than in previous years. The Society of Musicians has presented its books, consisting of fifty-nine works and parts of works, to this department. The Society has also handed over the Musical Times, the Musical Standard, and Monthly Musical. It is understood that the subscriptions to these periodicals will be continued by the Society, and they will be placed on the tables for reference. Two hundred and seventy-one books have been added during the year, bringing the total number of volumes up to 8,894. Circulating Department. —Complaints have again been made as to the disappearance of various volumes from the shelves. Greater care might reasonably be expected from subscribers in the treatment of books taken out. During the year 669 new books have been added, while 231 wornout volumes have been replaced, and 226 in addition have been ordered from England, and may be expected to arrive shortly. The magazines now taken number sixty-two. The total number of books in this department is 14,509. The number of subscribers is 1578. Reading Room. —This department is much frequented. The Melbourne Argus is now regularly taken in, together with the following papers : English 6, Irish 1, Scotch 1, American 1, Australian 8, New Zealand about 40, and 16 magazines. School op Ageicultuee. The number of students attending the School of Agriculture during the second term of 1892 was 37, and during the first term of 1893, 20. The cost of maintenance, fuel, light, &c, for each student and member of the teaching staff during the year has been £45 17s. 7d., viz. : for the second term, 1892, £19 os. 5d., and for the first term, 1893, £26 17s. 2d. Final certificates of the school were obtained in December last by the following students : B. H. Martin, E. E. Martin, J. Gardner and J. B. Burt. Certificates of merit have also been awarded to J. Gardner, B. H. Martin, E. E. Martin, W. C. Leys, E. C. Fryer, T. E. Crawford and C. J. Barron. During the past year, in the absence of the Director, the work of the farm has been under the supervision of- Mr. Henry Overton, Chairman of the Board of Advice ; and the management of the school proper under Mr. George Gray. The lectures on Agriculture have been supplemented by practical demonstrations to second-year students, on stock, kindly undertaken by members of the Board of Advice and other gentlemen, thus keeping the work up to the usual standard. Several changes in the teaching staff have been made, Mr. C. E. Adams having been appointed to succeed Mr. E. C. Buckley as mathematical master, and Mr. B. Marshall as natural science master, in the place of Mr. E. Wilkinson resigned. Arrangements have been made by which the students have the use of a reading-room, well supplied with newspapers and agricultural periodicals. This appears to be much appreciated. A smoking-room has also been provided for the use of students. Board of Advice.' —During the year Mr. J. W. Overton resigned his seat on the Lincoln College Board of Advice. The vacancy was subsequently filled by Mr. Henry Overton. The seat on the Board vacated by Mr. Henry Overton at the expiration of his year of office as Chairman of the Agricultural and Bastoral Association was filled by his successor, Mr. John Grigg. The members of the Board retiring by rotation to-day, in accordance with the rules, are Messrs. William Boag and Henry Overton. They are eligible for re-election. Since its establishment the Board of Advice has rendered valuable assistance to the department. The Chairman of that body, Mr. Henry Overton, has taken the greatest interest in the welfare of the institution. He has regularly visited Lincoln, and been untiring in the endeavour to place the farm in first-class order. Mr. Gray's house and the various cottages on the estate have been added to and placed in thorough repair. In response to advertisements inserted in the Home and Colonial newspapers, applications to the number of fifty-two were received for the position of Director of the School of Agriculture, Lincoln. These were very carefully examined by the members of the Board. Two or three names were selected and referred to the Agent-General, with a request that he would kindly interview the gentlemen named and report the result by cable. Unfortunately the candidates selected, though possessing very high honours and qualifications and of high scientific attainments, proved to be too young and inexperienced for a post of such responsibility. The best thanks of the Board are due to the Agent-General and to Mr. Kennaway for the care and attention devoted to the questions submitted to them. Finding that it was almost impossible to select a gentleman in every way suitable for the position, without the opportunity of a personal interview, it was decided to appoint a Commission in England with full power to take such steps as may be necessary to fill the directorship. The following gentlemen were asked to act on the Commission : The Agent-General, Lord Onslow, Mr. P. Cunningham, and Mr. J. N. Tosswill. As the latter is at present residing on the Continent, it is possible that he will not be in a position to take part in the selection. The others have intimated their willingness to act. The applications for the position were sent to the Agent-General, and it is hoped that in five or six weeks news will be received from England stating that an appointment has been made. With a view to do away with the difficulty previously existing, of scholarships gained at Government Primary Schools being held at the Lincoln College, the Board agreed to permit the institution to be inspected by a Government officer, as required by section 51 of " The Education Act, 1877." The Chairman of the Board of Advice reports : " The past year has been a most peculiar one as regards weather, the winter being unusually wet, followed by perhaps the driest spring ever known in the Lincoln district. The consequence was that the wheat suffered most severely from the drought and rust, and gave the lowest yield on record. One field of wheat, specially laid out, was treated with four different manures without giving the slightest perceptible benefit in any way, unless it is yet to be shown by the analysis of the grain. The oat crop, which was saved by the splendid early summer rain, was above an average one. The root crops, which were treated with different manures, are all good, and are now being fed off with advantage. The stock upon the farm