no HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of plate, of five guineas' value, was awarded at same time 

 to John Bertram, Mountrich, Dingwall, for a report on the 

 same subject. A sum of ;^5 5s. was voted at same time to 

 James Inglis, Holm, Douglas, for plans and delineations of 

 farm steadings. A sum of ^10 los. was awarded, 5th 

 January 1798, to John Bertram, Mountrich, Dingwall, for a 

 report on the use of horses in the Highlands ; and, at same 

 time, a sum of ;^5 5s. to Robert Somerville, surgeon, Had- 

 dington, for an essay on peat moss. A sum of £10 los. 

 was, in 1802, voted to Robert Somerville, surgeon, Hadding- 

 ton, for two essays on corn ; and, in same year, a sum of 

 £^ 3s. to James Hogg, Ettrick House, Selkirk, for an essay 

 on the diseases of sheep. 



We need not further extend these notices of awards 

 for essays and reports, as they will come again under review 

 in referring to the Society's Transactions. The foregoing 

 sufficiently indicate the varied character of the subjects that 

 engaged the attention of the Society at this early period of 

 its history. 



Cnltivatiiig Various Kinds of Grasses. 



The list of premiums given on page 103 shows that the 

 Society, from the outset, sought to encourage the use of 

 sown grasses, offering premiums to farmers who should 

 have the greatest proportion of their arable land well 

 cleaned and properly laid down with a crop of grass seeds, 

 which crop, it was provided, should be carefully protected 

 from cattle, sheep, &c., after the grass seeds were sown and 

 made into hay. The first premium for grass seeds was 

 awarded in 1787. It was a sum of £2 2s. and 10 lbs. of 

 clover seed, which were voted to John Gillies, Cleisttrain, 

 Orphir, Orkney. The second was one guinea and 10 lbs, 

 of clover seed, voted in 1788 to John M'Lulich, Cove, 

 Tarbert, Argyllshire. The third was a sum of £^ 5s., voted 

 in 1793 to Robert Campbell, Bainaline and Dalavaich, 

 Argyllshire ; and the fourth, a sum of £'j los., in 1795 to 

 the Rev. John Macfarlane, Kilbrandon. In 1797, a sum of 

 £^ was voted to Lieut. William Gordon, of the looth Regi- 

 ment, residing at Minmore. In the same year were voted 



