198 Domestic Notices : — Scotland. 



"New Plants adapted to Field Culture. — The silver medal, or a discretionary 

 premium, is offered, and gardeners, who are good botanists, and have leisure 

 and a little spare room, might do something in this way. 



" The best kejit Cottages and Gardens. — Four counties in different parts of 

 Scotland are named, in each of which, to encourage cottagers to keep their 

 cottages and gardens neat and^clean, the Society will, for four successive years, 

 give two sovereigns annually to any parish in each of the said counties, or to 

 any local association, comprehending at least one parish within the object of 

 its operations, on receiving a satisfactory guarantee from or on behalf of the 

 parish or association for an equal sum being placed at thedisposal of the Society, 

 for the same purpose, and during the same period. The number of parishes to 

 receive the premiums is to be limited to four in each county, 



" Medals to Cottagers. — In the view of giving still farther encouragement to 

 cottagers who do not reside in the counties in which the regular premiums are 

 in operation, and, at the same time, of giving aid to local associations and 

 public-spirited individuals, establishing or continuing, at their own expense, 

 premiums for the like object, the Society will give its cottage medal to such 

 associations or public-spirited individuals as apply for the same, and may be 

 desirous to add that testimony of approbation to such premiums as they 

 themselves bestow. The number of medals to be issued annually is limited 

 to six. 



" Woods and Plantations. — An honorary premium is offered for extensive 

 planting. The gold medal for the best report on recent plantations. The 

 report should comprehend every interesting particular; among others, the 

 exposure and altitude of the place, and general character of the soil ; the 

 mode of fencing and of planting adopted ; the kind of trees planted, and the 

 number of each kind per acre; their relative progress; the proportion of 

 blanks or deaths at the end of three years ; the state of the plantation at the 

 date of making the report, and the expense per acre, as nearly as can be 

 calculated. 



" Vlnus sylvestris. — Premiums are offered for the best account of native 

 woods of this tree ; collecting the greatest quantity of seed from healthy self- 

 gown trees in the Highlands ; and importing the greatest quantity of seeds 

 from the native forests on the Continent. 



" Introduction of new, and extended Cultivation of rare and useful Forest 

 Trees. — It is especially wished to ascertain the value of the Pinus Pinaster 

 in Scotland. 



" Introduction of Forest Trees not yet known in a living State in Scotland. — To 

 the person who shall, in any year, most successfully transmit to the Society, 

 in a state fit for germination, seeds of forest trees not yet in cultivation 

 in this country, and which are natives of such places as, from their latitude 

 or altitude, may be expected to produce trees hardy in the climate of 

 Scotland, the gold or silver medal, or a piece of plate of such value as the 

 directors, in the circumstances of the case, may think suitable. 



" The Society would particularly wish to direct (but by no means to con- 

 fine) attention to the fir tribes; and the countries from which contributions 

 are particularly expected are, the north-west part of America, the table-land 

 of Mexico, such parts of the Andes as have sufficient elevation, and the 

 Himalayan Mountains, or of the great plains to the northward of them. The 

 seeds may be sent home in the cones, wrapped in brown paper, packed in 

 a box, and kept in a cool airy part of the cabin, but by no means in the 

 hold, nor in tin cases. If competitors possess the means, by themselves 

 or their correspondents, of trying their vegetation in this country, it will 

 be desirable that they should do so ; but otherwise, if the seeds be sent to 

 the secretary of the Society, tiiey will be tried under the direction of the 

 Society, so as to afford every chance of success. The transmission of living 

 plants in boxes, or in cases covered with glass panes, may be attempted, 

 where practicable ; the external air should be excluded, and almost no water 

 given during the voyage. Where this plan is adopted, smaller seeds, berries, 



