EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XIII. No. 5. 



Less than a year and a half ago the death was noted of Sir John 

 Bennett Lawes, of Rothamsted fame. We are now called upon to 

 record the death of his lifelong coadjutor and friend, Sir Joseph 

 Henry Gilbert, which occurred December 23, 1901. Thus these two 

 men, so closely associated in their scientihc work in life, were not 

 widely separated in death. Their remarkable scientific partnership, 

 extending over more than fifty -five years, has hardly a parallel, and 

 their harmonious labors at Rothamsted in the cause of agricultural 

 science have made a profound and lasting impress on the agriculture 

 of the world. The beginning of their labors well-nigh marks the 

 beginning of the experiment station as an institution devoted to inves- 

 tigation in agricultural science, and within their active lives the science 

 of agricultural chemistrj' has developed and the experiment station 

 has come to be regarded in all civilized countries as a practically indis- 

 pensable institution. 



Joseph Henry Gilbert was born at Hull in 1817, and was therefore 

 in his eighty-fifth year at the time of his death. After attending the 

 Universit}^ of Glasgow and University College, London, Avhere he 

 devoted special attention to chemistry, he spent some time in Liebig's 

 lalwrator}^ at Giessen, where he ol)tained his doctorate. Upon return- 

 ing to England, two or three 3^ears were spent in teaching and in 

 studying the chemistry of calico printing, dyeing, etc. Dr. Gilbert 

 became associated with John B. Lawes at Rothamsted in 18-13, at first 

 superintending the la])oratory investigations and later entering more 

 generally into the field and feeding experiments and other investiga- 

 tions. He continued to occupy the position of director of the Rotham- 

 sted laboratory to the time of the death of Sir John Lawes, whom he 

 succeeded as director of the Rothamsted Station. 



While the opportunity for conducting the Rothamsted investigations 

 was due to the munificence of Sir John Lawes, a large measure of 

 credit for their scientific character and exactness is due to Dr. Gilbert, 

 who gave to them his undivided attention through a long, active life. 

 Indeed, Sir John, in his generosity of spirit, seemed always anxious 



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