WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5760, 15 September 1879, Page 3

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

A general meeting of thin vims hrid at the Museum on Saturday evening ; Mr. Martin Chapman, vica-pce-ifient, in the cha r. The minutes having been confirmed. Dr. Kntu - read a second paper on the “ Education of Children from a Medical point ot view. The author on this occasion drew particular attention to defects in the construction and arrangement of schoolrooms generally, rte had visited nearly every school in this town, and found them all more or less unmiited for tile purpose. In erecting the buildings everything was sacrificed to design. The lighting was bad, and the seats faulty. He pointed ont how this defective arrangement as regards light tended to damage the sight. He advocated the introduction of seats with backs to replace those in use at present, which caused the child to restiu unnatural positions, thereby distorting the figure. Mr. Woodward thanked the author for having drawn attention to tins subject in such a carefully thought out paper. He stated that the question of lighting and seats would in future receive more consideration.

Mr. .7. T. Thomson and tho Hon. Mr. Randall Johnson complimented Dr. Kemp on hir, paper, which contained many suggestions which it was most desirable should be adopted. The next paper was on “ Wind-formed Lakes,” by Mr. J. C. Crawford, F.G.S. Ibis described how lakes had been formed by the action of the wind on Rind, and instanced Lake Wairarapa and Burnham Water as examples. Mr. Gomer Williams said lie had noticed small lakes on tho West Coast, formed, no doubt, in this way ; and Mr. Maxwell bad seen small pools of this kind, but hardly to be called lakes. He scarcely thought the Wairarapa Lake had been formed in this way. The Chairman then read a paper hy Dr. Carl on “Grasses and Fodder Plants,” which contained a great deal of interesting and valuable information, being the result of experiments made by the author tor the purpose of introducing the most suitable grasses iuto this country.

Mr. Randall Johnson pointed out the value of such a paper as thin. He did not think farmers, generally speaking, could carry out such experiments ; it should more properly be dune by schools of agriculture, which he hoped soon to see established in the colony. They had made ft commencement in this direction at Christchurch. Ho might instance oue plant that had been highly recommended as likely to do good in this country, but which had been rejected. It did not suit the climate or soil—two things of tho greatest importance. Mr. Kirk thought that more attention was paid to the cultivation of grasses than the author of the paper supposed. More attention should be given to our native grasses. Tho author stated that certain plants could ho altered or modified by cultivation ; to this lie did not agree. There was no evidence jito show that a plant can be acclimatised.