is obtained. It is with fingular fatisfaction the Society can confider themselves as having been the first who communicated to the Public a well-attefted account of fo valuable an acquifition to our West India Islands. A greater number of Members have been elected this year than for fome years paft; and it is a pleasing reflection, that one Branch of the Royal Family has now become a Subfcriber to this Inftitution, and thereby shown a decided attention to the promoting the Arts, the Manufactures, and Commerce of these kingdoms, by which alone the riches and power of the Nation can be increafed and supported. This increase of Members has enabled the Society not only to add pecuniary Rewards to feveral of the Honorary Premiums heretofore offered, as will appear by examining the Lift of Premiums printed in this Volume; but also to offer fome new ones, which it may not be improper to mention in this place. In AGRICULTURE. Ir having been fuggefted, that the feeding Horfes on Green Food in the ftall or stable would be attended with very beneficial confequences, a Premium is offered for the best Account of that Practice, in order fully to ascertain the advantages refulting therefrom to the Farmer and the Public. In CHEMISTRY. A PREMIUM is this year first offered for disclosing a method of refining Block Tin; and as a far greater quantity of Tin is found in England than in any other country in Europe, it has been thought the Dif covery of a method of Improving the coarser kinds of that Metal, and fitting it for the finer purposes to which it is applicable, would be highly beneficial to the trade of the kingdom. The The very great confumption of Oil in lamps rendered the Refining of Fish-Oil an early object of the Society's attention; and fome Rewards have been formerly bestowed for attempts to obtain the art, but without those advantages that were expected to refult from the encouragement given: this year therefore the Society have refumed the fubject, and offer a very confiderable Premium for the Discovery of an effectual method of fo purifying ordinary Fish-Oil, as to prevent that Incrustation on the Wick, which extinguishes the light, though the lamp is fully supplied with Oil. In COLONIES and TRADE. THE several Letters and Specimens submitted this year to the confideration of the Society, having proved that the Laurus Cinnamomi, or true Cinnamon, is now grow. ing in the Island of Jamaica, it has been judged highly proper for the Society to. afford I afford a due affiftance to the promoting the Importation of fo valuable an article of commerce into this kingdom, from the Islands fubject to the crown of Great Britain. A confiderable Premium is therefore now offered, to the perfon who fhall import a quantity of Cinnamon from the British Islands in the West Indies, and thereby introduce to this Country an article of Commerce of our own growth, which hitherto thefe kingdoms, and all Europe, have been only able to obtain through the medium of Holland. Having thus taken a curfory view of what is contained in the following sheets, it remains only to folicit the further correfpondence of thofe Authors who may with to communicate to the world at large, such obfervations as may tend to improve and increase the Arts, the Manufactures, and Commerce of these kingdoms; as all Papers which fhall be found likely to promote that end |