TRANSACTKINS OF SDCLETIKS. 39g 



the University of Micliit^an. and in 1874 to the University of 

 Cah'fornia. where he remained nntil his retirement at an ad- 

 vanced age a few years ajt^x). 



During his whole career flilgard was an active author: the 

 writing of official reports and memoirs, of papers in scientific 

 and agricultural |)eriodicals, and of books — amongst the latter 

 the treatise alreadv mentioned — ke])t him constantly busy when 

 not occupied in lecturing or in scientific investigation. The 

 world needs men who will i)ersistently lay stress on vaguely- 

 grasped or forgotten truths. Hilgard was such a man. In the 

 special branch of science which gave him fame he repeatedly 

 emphasised sitch ])oints as the })otential fertility of arid soils, 

 indigenous vegetation as a means of recognising soil character; 

 the nature and reclamation of alkali soils; the distinction between 

 what he called the " permanent stock of fertility "' in soils, and 

 their immediate productiveness; the need of imifying methods 

 of soil analysis ; and, last, but not least, the im])ortance of giving 

 the judgment of the ])ractical farmer a patient hearing, and of 

 discovering the scientific Ixisis for that judgment. 



Hilgard retired from his position at Berkeley Agricultural 

 Ivxperiment Station. California University, in 1909. and in the 

 following- May he wrote somewhat sadly : "I have been unable to 

 read or write for several months past, and the end is not yet." 

 He was fortunate in having lived long enough to realise the esteem 

 of his confreres the world o\-er. It is not generally known that 

 he was at one time offered the post of United States Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture; and, on a subsequent occasion, the port- 

 folio of Secretarv of Agriculture : he recognised that his province 

 was scientific rather than administrative, and so he declined the 

 offers, and completed 35 years in the service of California Uni- 

 versity. 



TRA\S,\C'I1()\'S OF SOCIETIES. 



SdUTH Afrkax Association of Analytical Chfimists. — Thursday, 

 }-fliruary 17th: J. Moir, M.A., D.Sc, President, in the chair.— " 7/it? 

 Jiidusfrial Fixation of Xitroi^cii " : If. Schwarz. The various methods 

 suggested and adopted for the fixation of nitrogen were discussed, special 

 consideration 1)eing given to Serperk's plant for the manufacture of 

 aluminium nitride. "' Rnntiitc fcstiitc/ in a Dynamite Works Laboratory'' : 

 J. A. Campbell. Details of tiie metliods adopted for testing the various 

 products produced in a Dynamite Factory were considered. 



Thursdav, :v[arch i6th.— J. ^[oir, AT. A., D.Sc, President, in tlie 

 chair. - Xotcs on the Kuils Rirrr Tin Mines": Prof. G. H. Stanley. 

 A short account of the occurrence of cassiterite and the method of hy- 

 draulic extraction was givev..—" .-IptHcation of synthetic dye-stuffs and 

 substitutes to cotton": 11. R. Adam. The method of dyeing cotton 

 was described, consideration being given to substitutes probably now m 

 use owing to war conditions,--" Z^'w^ajf.? of the Respiratory Organs m 

 Miners, as recorded by Af^ricohi " : Dr. J. de Fenton. A short account 

 was given of the life and career of Agricola (1404-1560) and mstances 

 were mentioned where the translation by Hoover appeared to give a 

 false impression of Agricola's knowledge of miners' diseases. 



