FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 25- 



The trustees' meeting of May 29, 1795, was of special 

 interest as there were awarded two premiums, the first ever 

 given by the society. They were for essays on compost 

 manures. Upon opening the sealed packets the names 

 were found to be Rev. Phinehas Whitney of Shirley, writer 

 of the essay for which $50 or the gold medal of the society 

 had been offered, and Jesse Bannister of Brookfield, writer 

 of the essay entitled to the premium of 130. It was voted 

 to publish Mr. Whitney's essay at once in the newspapers. 

 The premiums for the most satisfactory history of the can- 

 ker worm had been earlier offered but the time for competi- 

 tion did not expire till July 1, 1795. In August the essay 

 on that subject entitled to the gold medal or $50, was found 

 to have been written by William Dandridge Peck of Kit- 

 tery, and the report says that the essay " bearing the sig- 

 nature of a triangle appears very ingenious and useful, and 

 if the author shall consent that the paper containing his 

 name be opened and the essay published, $25 or its equiva- 

 lent in plate shall be given him." This was consented to 

 subsequently and the writer proved to be Rev. Noah At- 

 water of Westfield. In October, 1796, awards were made 

 in like manner for an essay on the cultivation of wheat to 

 Rev. Reuben Holcomb of Sterling, and for an essay on 

 bringing wild lands into a state of improvement, to Freder- 

 ick Plympton of Sturbridge. 



The essay on canker worms by W. D. Peck undoubtedly 

 impressed the committee, as it would any reader of the 

 present day, as showing the superior attainments of the 

 writer in his department of natural science. In the 

 method of discussion, analytic treatment, closeness of at- 

 tention to details and aptness and conciseness of diction 

 it does not fall below the modern standards. When, there- 

 fore, at the next meeting of the trustees in September a 

 letter was received from a prominent naturalist of New 

 Jersey, asking if any member of the society could give him 

 information on. a plant called the chicorium intybus, the 

 board at once voted to refer the letter to Mr. Peck. He 



