HOLYOKE is the only boat-club that has done anything in the way of preparation for the next season on the river. The time of year, we know, is not inspiriting, but if the club-system is to remain in existence, the officers of the clubs should exert themselves now to make it more of a success than it was last year. There is no reason why it should not succeed if the interest can be kept up. It is better than the old class-system it succeeded, but it needs at present some one to put life into it. We are sorry to hear that the captain of at least one club is anxious to perpetuate the plan of making the six-oared crews inferior to the four-oared. This was done last fall from necessity, but we said then, and we say now, that it is a backward step, - not to be considered a moment by those who have any desire to see our boating interests improved. Men who have such a desire should devote themselves to devising means to raise the first crews of the clubs to eight-oars rather than to degrading them to fours. If nothing can be done to keep up the interest in boating, we may as well give up boating altogether. But the time has not come yet for the retrograde steps to begin.