PREMIUMS AND COMPETITIONS — 182I-I829. I93 



lishment of the manufactory' of straw-plait upon his estate 

 at Strontian, Argyleshire. The silver medal was voted to 

 Mr and Mrs Johnstone, teachers at the same establishment, 

 as a mark of the Society's approbation of the skill, prudence, 

 and activity displayed by them in the superintendence of 

 the manufactory ; while ;^5 were given to be distributed in 

 prizes among the most meritorious scholars. In 1829, ;^io 

 were voted to D. Ramsay, Kirkwall, for the best specimen, 

 in a bleached state, of rye straw, raised in Scotland, for the 

 purpose of being manufactured into plait for imitation 

 Leghorn bonnets ; and ^5 to John Flett, Stromness, for the 

 next best specimen. In 183 1, the honorary silver medal 

 was voted to the said D. Ramsay for raising Tuscany 

 wheat straw, of a superior quality. A premium of ;^io was 

 afterwards offered to the person who, in the years 1841 or 

 1842, should have reaped and prepared in the best manner 

 for straw plait, in an}' district of Scotland where premiums 

 for the preparation and manufacture of that article had not 

 already been awarded by the Society, the greatest quantity 

 of r}-e straw, or not less than two acres ; one of £6 to the 

 person who should, between 30th January 1840 and 20tli 

 November 1842, have got plaited or manufactured, where 

 premiums had not already been awarded by the Society, 

 the greatest quantity of r}'e straw ; and one of ^^"4 to the 

 person who should have got plaited or manufactured the 

 second greatest quantity as aforesaid. The premiums do 

 not appear to have been claimed ; at least no awards are 

 made. 



In 1826, in Moray, Nairn, and Lower District of Banff- 

 shire, a first prize of ten sovereigns, or plate of that value, 

 was awarded to Peter Brown, Linkwood, Elgin, for having, 

 in 1825, cultivated the greatest extent of turnips, and had 

 the proportion thereof specified in the Society's regulations 

 eaten off the ground by sheep in manner therein prescribed. 

 A second prize of ^^5 was voted to James Mellis, Spynie. 

 In 1828, a first premium of like value was voted to said 

 Peter Brown ; the second prize of ;^5 going to William 

 MTntosh of Millbank. In 1829, in a district in Perthshire, 



N 



