68 A HISTORY OF 



spin worsted the "long way of the staple," when 294 

 girl pupils attended, fifty women being employed as 

 teachers. 



The year 1753 was remarkable for a paucity of 

 claimants in some of the branches in which premiums 

 were offered. Osiers, willows, and apple trees failed to 

 find competitors, while no claims were sent in for Dr. 

 Madden' s premiums for mares, and for ^20 offered 

 for importing a jackass from Spain or Portugal. 

 Edward Walsh, Dolphin's Barn, Anthony Grayson, 

 Mark's alley, and Francis Ozier, Dame street, were 

 prizemen in flowered velvet and silks ; and Henry 

 Delamain, of the Strand, in earthenware. Nicholas 

 Planchard, a French refugee, won two guineas for best 

 dyed pressed black cloth. Matthew Querk, Kilkenny, 

 took 10 for the best eight pairs of blankets, and 12 

 were awarded to Rev. George Ormsby, Bellvoir, co. 

 Sligo, for draining bog. In 1754, the premium for 

 sowing most land with acorns or other timber seeds 

 was won by Lewis Roberts, Old Conna Hill (now 

 represented by Captain J. Lewis Riall, a vice-president, 

 no less active in promoting the interests of the Royal 

 Dublin Society, and the objects for which it was 

 founded), and by William Tighe ; those for osiers and 

 willows by Henry Waring, Waringsford, co. Down, 

 who planted 73,820; and by David Oldis, Bally- 

 lanagan, co. Tipperary, who planted 53,169. The 

 prizes for best cider were awarded to Lancelot Crosbie, 

 co. Kerry, and Samuel Raymond, Ballylongford, co. 

 Kerry. Premiums were offered for planting most 

 timber trees in woods or clumps, when Lord Kenmare 

 came first with 70,500 planted at Killarney and Kil- 

 beheny; the Rev. R. N. Gifford, Woodstock, co. 

 Galway, obtained a premium for 857 apple trees. 



The list of premiums for the year 1766 occupies 



