FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE 31 



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 returned a 

 satisfactory account of the plant, which was read at 

 the October meeting. In August, 1795, a premium of 

 $50 for the best essay "on the natural history of the 

 worm that has lately infested cherry, pear, quince and 

 plum trees, called the snail or slug worm," was offered. 

 The ultimate date for competition was to be Sept. 30, 

 1797. The award was made in the usual manner and 

 it was found that Mr. Peck was again the successful 

 essayist. It was voted to print the essay and accom- 

 panying illustrations, and he was requested to super- 

 intend the engraving. These experiences probably had 

 the effect of drawing particular attention to him and it 

 appears, though not on the society's records, that he 

 removed to Cambridge, where, in 1805 he became pro- 

 fessor in natural history in Harvard College of which 

 he was a graduate in 1782. He held the professorship 

 till his decease in 1822. At an early date he became a 

 member of this society. 



In April, 1796, a gold medal was awarded in the 

 usual manner to Rev. Jonathan Newell of Stow, for a 

 method of draining ponds. The town of Stow has a 

 permanent reminder of him in the flow of the stream 

 from a pond in or near the center of the village. Once 

 the flow was in the opposite direction, and was called 

 "Strong-water brook". The brook has now only a 

 legendary existence. It is noticeable that at this early 

 stage clergymen were very successful in gaining prem- 

 iums. This, it may be concluded, was owing partly 

 to the circumstance that other experimenters and 

 investigators did not, in very considerable numbers, 



