REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PRIZE ESSAYS. 



The Committee on Prize Essays offer the following report: They 

 have received seven essays, and one manuscript copy of a work on ag- 

 riculture for schools, all of which they carefully examined, and to some 

 of which they have awarded the prizes of the society. The following 

 are the titles of the essays here referred to, viz : 



Three essays on the application of science to agriculture. 



One on the silk culture ; * 



Two on the potatoe disease, and 



One on irrigation. 



The committee farther report that they have awarded the one hun- 

 dred dollar prize to the essay entitled science and agriculture, by 

 J. J. Thomas, of Macedon, Wayne county. 



As this essay will be published in the society's transactions, we for- 

 bear commenting on its peculiar excellencies, and Ave scarcely deem it 

 necessary to state the reasons which induced your committee to make 

 the award. 



The committee have awarded the prize of fifteen dollars for an essay 

 on the potatoe disease. That the society may understand the grounds 

 upon which this premium has been recommended, the committee beg 

 leave to say that they do not mean to convey the impression that the 

 author of it has discovered the cause of the disease, or a certain remedy 

 for it — but in their opinion the views of the author are rational and 

 practical, and accord better with vegetable physiology than those which 

 have been heretofore offered to the public. In concluding our remarks 

 upon the essay we deem it proper to urge our farmers to adopt the au- 

 thor's plan for managing the potatoe ; for though it may not prove en- 

 tirely effectual in saving the entire crop ; yet we believe it will greatly 

 diminish the amount of loss which farmers have suffered during the 



• See reports of the committees on root crops and silk. 



