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Art. XVII. Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



I. Mechanical Science. 

 ^ 1. Astronomy, Agriculture, the Arts, Sfc. 



1. Prize Question for 1820. — The Royal Academy of Sciences 

 of Naples proposes the following subject to be rewarded with a 

 prize, in the year 1820. 



The description of an instrument is required, 1. which shall 

 unite in itself the properties of the largest and most perfect 

 meridian circles and meridian telescopes that have yet been made; 

 2. the verification of which shall not depend on any spirit 

 level; 3. which can traverse and turn with facility, so as to 

 allow of observation in two contrary positions ; 4. and which 

 can be made by any good workman possessed of the means 

 offered by the actual state of the arts. ' 



The memoir, to be accompanied by designs of the instrument, 

 may be written either in Latin or Italian. 



The prize to be awarded for the successful execution of the 

 above conditions, will be a gold medal of the value of six 

 hundred ducats. The memoirs, without the name of the au- 

 thor, but distinguished by a motto, are to be sent before the 

 termination of February, 1820, to II Cav Teodoro Monticelli, 

 Secretary to the Royal Academy, and enclosed to the Secretary 

 of State for external Affairs. The prize will be awarded on 

 June 30, 1820, and the Memoirs not approved of returned, on 

 demand, to the authors. 



2. Rate of Increase in the Vegetation of Wheat. — The following 

 experiment was made in Sussex. In October, 1818, twelve 

 grains of wheat were planted at six inches' distance from each 

 other. They all vegetated, but one third was afterwards de- 

 stroyed by the worms. Tiie remaining crop having flourished, 

 was reaped in the beginning of August, the eight grains pro- 

 ducing 213 fine ears, or nearly 27 ears, of 39 grains each, 

 from each seed sown. The crop being threshed and cleaned 

 amounted to 12« ounces of corn. From this result, expanded 

 by calculation over an acre of ground, are drawn arguments for 



