iv 



Report to the General Meeting^ Dec.^ 1852. 



The Council have on former occasions reported to the Society 

 the communications in which they have been placed with the 

 Foreign Office in reference to the question of a reduction in the 

 price of Guano. They have now to report, that they appointed 

 in June last a Deputation to wait on the Earl of Derby, the 

 Prime Minister, for the purpose of representing to him the great 

 importance of every means being taken to effect this object. His 

 Lordship received the Society's Deputation most courteously, and 

 assured them of his desire to take every measure that might at 

 any time be in his povv'er to promote the views and wishes of the 

 Society on this subject. Since that interviev/ the Council have 

 resolved to offer, in addition to their current Prize of 50/. for an 

 Essay on the geographical discovery of new supplies of Guano, 

 a Prize for the discovery of a substitute for Peruvian Guano, 

 under the following terms and conditions : — 



I. — Terms of the Prize. 

 " 0:>E Thousand Pounds and the Gold Medal of the Society will be given 

 for the discovery of a Manure equal in fertilising properties to the 

 Peruvian Guano, and of which an unlimited supply can be iurnished to 

 the English Farmer at a rate not exceeding 5/. per ton." 



II. — Conditions of Competition. 



1. That in the offer of 1000?. and the Gold Medal of the Society, as a Prize 

 for the discovery of a Manure equal in every respect in its fertilising pro- 



• perties to Peruvian Guano, the 1000/. shall be offered in one undivided sum. 



2. That the standard of such Peruvian Guano shall bo assumed to be the 

 average result obtained by Professor Way, the Consulting Chemist to the 

 Society, and published in his paper in the 10th volume of the Journal, pages 

 205-208. 



3. That each competitor claiming the Prize shall send in with his sample a 

 chemical analysis under seal, together with such practical proofs of the suc- 

 cessful application oF the manure to growing crops of grain, roots, and grasses, 

 as he can produce duly certified by growers. That such samples of manure 

 shall be liable to be subjected to all such further tests, and for such period of 

 trial, as the Council may deem requisite. 



JS'.B. — All claimants shall, on application made to them by the Secretary, 

 be expected to supply, free of expense to the Society, such quantity of 

 their respective manures as may be required for trial. 



4. That no claim for the Prize will be entertained unless the claimant can 

 satisfy the Council that an unlimited supply of the manure, at a price not 

 exceeding 5Z. per ton, will at all times be within the reach of the agriculturists 

 of the United Kingdom. 



