Baldi^'ian Sioc'iely at Haarlem. 269 



The Phyfical Clafs has propofed for the year 1801 the 

 following queltion : 



" Has eledricity^ny a6lIon on matters wliich ferment? 

 And in that cafe, What is its action ? Is it favourable to fur^ 

 mentation, or does it prevent it ? What advantages may b« 

 'derived from an illultration of this point, in regard to im- 

 provins: the art pf making vyines, of brewing, and of dillillin^ 

 fpirits )"■ 



The learned of all countries, the ordlnarv members of the 

 Academy excepted, are invited to exert their talents on thefc 

 qneftions. The prizes are, a gold medal, equal in weight t-a 

 fifty ducats, for the philofophical quelHon ; two medals for 

 the nrathematleal, and a hundred crowns for the queftion in 

 phyfics. The papers, written in a legible hand, mufl: be 

 tranfmittcd, with the ufua! formalities, to the perpetual fv- 

 cretarv of the Academy, before the firft qf JNIay of the yetjr* 

 above mentioned. 



BATAVIAN SOCIETV AT HAARLKM, 



On the 24th of May lad this Society held their annual 

 meetina;, whieU the director opened by giving an account ot 

 the anfwers tranfmitted to the prize quettions to be anfwered 

 before the firft of November 1799; the refult of which was 

 as follows : 



On the queftion refpefting the ntility and manner of em 

 ploying ventilators in fliips, two papers were traufmitted, 

 written in Dutch, one of which obtained a golden medal. 

 The fuecefsful- candidate was L. Bicki;r, JVI. D, diretlor of 

 the Society of Experimental Philofophy at Rotterdam. 



On the other queftions, refpccting the improvement of 

 clowns, or fandy and drv land, two papers were received with- 

 out any devices. It was refolvcd, therefore, that no further 

 notice fliould be taken of them ; and that tbequeflions lliould 

 jiot be repeated. 



The three remaining qneftions to which no anfwers had 

 been fen t, have been again pfopofed in the following manner: 



" I. What is the prel'ent ftateofonr knowledge in regani 

 to the motion of the fap in trees and plants ? In what mui:- 

 jKT can a more conjplttc knowledge hz obldiiied of wJial is 



ftiir 



