In the early part of the current year the Secretary received a 

 letter from Hon. J. B. Brown, of Portland, then at Genoa, (Sar- 

 dinia,) in -which, after alluding to the deep interest with which 

 during his travels he had noticed the great attention paid to agri- 

 culture in Europe, he goes on to say, " I have been led to contrast 

 our loose way of farming with theirs, and ask myself what we in 

 Maine are doing to improve our culture, to increase our products, 

 and at the same time to lessen the expense, for after all that is the 

 desirable aim I have long been impressed that a proper system of 

 underdraining, with deep tillage or subsoil plowing, is very desir- 

 able, and not well understood. I therefore propose to put at the 

 disposal of the Board of Agriculture of Maine, the sum of one 

 hundred dollars, to be applied for the best Essay on those subjects. 

 as applicable to agriculture in Maine." 



Accordingly an oflFer was made and published in the Schedule of 

 Premiums of the Maine State Agricultural Society for the year 

 1860, couched in the following terms : 



" By the liberality of Hon. J. B. Broavn, of Portland, the sum of 

 one hundred dollars has been placed at the disposal of the State Board 

 of Agriculture, to be awarded for an Essay on Undcnlrdinbi^ and 

 Deep or SirhsoU Plowing-, as applied to agriculture in Maine ; and 

 this sum is hereby offered for the best Essay on these subjects. 



Manuscripts in competition for the above prize may be sent to 

 the Secretary of the Board, S. L. Goodale, &^'aco, until the first of 

 December next. They must be plainly written, on one side of the 

 paper only ; must be inscribed with a motto, and accompanied with 

 a sealed envelope having the same motto upon it, and containing 

 the name and address of the author. 



Initials, or any other nicaiis than the above, of ascertaining the 

 authorship, must not be used. 



The prize will not be awarded to an Essay deemed unsatisfactory, 

 whether there be competition or not." 



Publicity was also given to the offer, through the Maine Farmer 

 and other newspapers. 



