Re])07'fs of Committees. xxxix 



"3. On Agriculture in Victoria, witli special reference to the Geo- 

 logical and Chemical Character of Soils, to the Rotation of 

 Crops, and to the sources and Application of ]Manures. 



"4. On the ^Manufactures more immediately required for the 

 Economical Development of the resources of the Colony, with 

 special reference to those manufixctures the raw materials of 

 which are the produce of Victoria. 



"Competitive essays on the above subjects are required to be 

 written in a legible hand, on foolscap paper, on one side only, and 

 leaving a two-inch margin. The authors will attach mottos only to 

 the essays, and accompany each essay with a sealed envelope, con- 

 taining inside the name and address of the author, and on the outside 

 the motto affixed to the essay. 



" The essays must be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary of 

 the Royal Society on or before the 1st of October, 18 GO. 



" The Council will appoint, subject to the approval of Government, 

 three judges, who may or may not be members of the Society, to 

 decide on the respective value of the competitive essays on each of 

 the four topics named; but the Council reserves the power to with- 

 hold the premium in the case of any of the subjects, should the com- 

 petitive essays on that subject be considered unworthy of such a 

 reward. 



" The essays receiving premiums shall be considered the property 

 of the Government. 



" Royal Society, Victoria-street, Melbourne, March 28, 18G0." 



In accordance with this notification, essays to the number of 

 twenty-six were forwarded to the Royal Society, and, after careful 

 examination, the following essays were adjudged to be the successful 

 ones, viz. : — 



The subjects treated of in these essays all relate to the further 

 development or more economical use of the principal natural resources 

 of the colony. While some of these have been already so fully deve- 

 loped as to have placed Victoria in a commanding position, it can 

 scarcely be denied that others admit of still further development, and 

 indeed must have the attention they demand, if the progress of the 

 country is to be at all commensurate in the future with that which 

 has marked it for the last few years. Moreover, as the increase of 

 population requires that new sources of industry shoiild be made 

 known, these essays are also designed to indicate the direction in 

 which such sources may be found by those whose unemployed labor 

 or capital seek for a fresh outlet for profitable investment. 



The first essay treats of the economical use of the Avater su^^ply of 

 the country, so as to render it more available for the gold miner, the 

 agriculturist, the manufacturer, and for general, domestic, and sanitary 

 purposes. By collecting and storing the frc(jucntly superabundant 



