THE EDINBURGH SOCIETY. 33 



of their plans by inserting in the Edinburgh newspapers of 

 the loth of April 1755, a notification of the premiums they 

 were prepared to offer for competition. The objects 

 selected for encouragement were of a very miscellaneous 

 character, and ranged from 'the best essay on taste' and 

 ' the best discovery in science' to premiums for Scotch 

 ale, porter, blankets, carpets, drawings of fruit by boys or 

 girls under sixteen years, best printed book, best printed 

 cotton or linen cloth, lace, largest quantity of white linen 

 rags for making paper, &c. The only prize in the first 

 list of premiums which had any reference to agriculture 

 was a gold medal offered for ' the best dissertation on 

 vegetation and the principles of agriculture.' In August 

 of the same year the Edinburgh Society republished their 

 list of premiums, and in addition offered a prize of ;^io to 

 ' the farmer who planted the greatest number (not under 

 1000) of timber trees, oak, beech, ash, or elm, in hedgerows 

 before December 1756,' and a prize of ^5 to the second, 

 ' not under 500.' A prize of £6 was at the same time 

 offered ' to the farmer who should rear the greatest num- 

 ber (not under 2000) of young thorn plants before Decem- 

 ber 1758 ; and a sum of ^^"4 for the second greatest number 

 not under 1000.' Of the premiums which were given in 

 December 1755 we need only specify a few. The gold 

 medal for the dissertation on the principles of agriculture 

 was given to Dr Francis Home, physician in Edinburgh. 

 The prize for the best printed cotton Avas won by Mr 

 James Reid, calico printer, Gorgie, Edinburgh. The silver 

 medal for the 'best strong ale' was won by Mr Bar- 

 tholomew Bell, brewer in Edinburgh ; and the silver medal 

 for the best porter was gained by Mr Archibald Campbell, 

 also brewer in Edinburgh. The 'best invention in arts' 

 proved to be ' a piece of linen made like Marseilles work,' 

 but by the loom. The premium of twenty guineas w^as 

 awarded to Peter Brotherston, weaver in Dirleton, East 

 Lothian. The best carpets were produced by Thomas 

 M'Culloch and Coy., Kilmarnock. No essay on taste was 

 produced ; nor were there any specimens of lace or of 

 blankets, in terms of the advertisements. Two books were 



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