X ^N THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY 281 



to take a rational interest in the discussion of such 

 problems, and to see, what I think they may hope 

 to see, that, to those who possess a sufficient ele- 

 mentary knowledge of Biolog-y, they are not all 

 quite open questions. 



Let me mention another important practical 

 illustration of the value of biological study. With- 

 in the last forty years the theory of agriculture has 

 been revolutionised. The researches of Liebig, 

 and those of our own Lawes and Gilbert, have 

 had a bearing upon that branch of industry the 

 importance of which cannot be over-estimated; but 

 the whole of these new views have grown out of 

 the better explanation of certain processes which 

 go on in plants; and which, of course, form a part 

 of the subject-matter of Biology. 



I might go on multiplying these examples, but 

 I see that the clock won't wait for me, and I 

 must therefore pass to the third question to which 

 I referred: — Granted that Biology is something 

 worth studying, what is the best way of studying 

 it? Here I must point out that, since Biology is 

 a physical science, the method of studying it must 

 needs be analogous to that which is followed in 

 the other physical sciences. It has now long been 

 recognised that, if a man wishes to be a chemist, 

 it is not only necessary that he sliould read chemi- 

 cal books and attend chemical lectures, but that 

 lie should actually perform the fundamental ex- 

 periments in the laboratory for himself, and thus 



