SKETCH OF SIR JOHN BENNET LAWES. 697 



vestigations, he believes that the elucidation of agricultural principles 

 must be looked for from a due consideration of vegetable physiology 

 as well as chemistry, and of the special functional peculiarities and re- 

 sources of different plants as well as their actual percentage composi- 

 tion. The explanation of the distinctive functions of crops grown in 

 rotation is found, in his view, in the character and length of life of 

 the different plants ; in the character of the roots in regard to number, 

 size, etc., and to their aptitude to derive more of their food and moist- 

 ure from the surface, or from the subsoil ; and in the greater capacity 

 of some for liberating and assimilating food not available for others, 

 or for arresting food which would otherwise be washed out of the soil. 

 In brief, his investigations have embraced researches into the exhaus- 

 tion of soils, including experiments on croj^s ; on the principles of rota- 

 tion and fallow ; on the mixed herbage of grass-lands ; on the progress 

 of vegetation generally, including researches on the action of manures ; 

 on the origin of nitrogen in plants ; on the feeding and fattening of 

 cattle, and generally on stock as meat-producing and manure-making 

 machines ; on rainfall and drainage ; on botanical characteristics ; and 

 on the chemistry of the malting process, and the comparative value of 

 malt and barley as food for cattle. Mr. Lawes also, in conjunction 

 with Professor Way, acted upon a royal commission from 1857 to 

 1865, in the investigation of the effect of the application of town sew- 

 age upon grass and other crops ; and in the institution of comparative 

 experiments on the feeding qualities of the differently grown crops, to 

 be determined by the amount of increase yielded by oxen, and the 

 amount and composition of the milk yielded by cows. 



In 18T2 Mr. Lawes announced his intention of placing in tj-ust his 

 laboratory and experimental fields, with an endowment of £100,000, 

 the interest of which, after his death, should be applied to the con- 

 tinuance of the investigations carried on there. " It is seldom," " Na- 

 ture " remarked, in noticing the fact at the time, " that we have to 

 record an act of so great munificence directed in a channel calculated 

 to bring about such important results to the scientific departments 

 of agriculture." 



Mr. Lawes was elected in 1854 a Fellow of the Royal Society, whose 

 royal medal he received conjointly with Dr. Gilbert in 1867 ; he has 

 also received a gold medal from the Imperial Agricultural Society of 

 Russia ; in June, 1881, the Emperor of Germany by imperial decree 

 awarded the gold medal of merit for agriculture to him and Dr. Gil- 

 bert jointly, in recognition of their services for the development of 

 scientific and practical agriculture ; and in May, 1882, Mr. Lawes was 

 created a baronet, and became Sir John Bennet Lawes. Pie is also a 

 Fellow of the Chemical Society, and an LL. D. 



The results of the Rothamstead investigations of Sir John Lawes 

 are to be found in the journals of the Royal Agricultural Society, the 

 reports of the British Association, the Journal of the Chemical So- 



