Sir II. S. Meysey Thompson^ Bar.'. 533 



but as a whole this paper must be studied, it cannot be epito- 

 mised. When so much is admirable, criticism seems almost 

 out of place. But perhaps the foundation was too large for the 

 superstructure, which has never been completed ; the style is 

 xather diffuse, enormous pains were taken to collect informa- 

 tion, and the statistics may appear crude and Blue-bookish. 

 The general conclusions from this important and exhaustive 

 inquiry appear to be these : — Free-trade has fed an increased 

 population, promoted trade and manufacture, and so created 

 increased demand for meat ; thus good farming has been en- 

 couraged by stimulating the production of stock and green 

 -crops. Mr. Thompson mentions his own chemical discovery, 

 the power of the soil to decompose and retain ammonia, but 

 places this discovery as secondary in interest as compared 

 with the extensive and all-important scientific investigations, 

 •elaborately conducted during so many consecutive years at 

 Hothamsted. 



In agriculture scientific men become practical, and practical 

 men scientific. Men of science are usually positive in the 

 inverse ratio to the possibility of testing their respective theories. 

 The chemist and — for example — the theologian, sit on opposite 

 poles of the world of science. Men often bow to the latter, and 

 respect his honesty, even where they ridicule the inconsistencies 

 and absurdities of his views : but on the other — the chemist — 

 practical men rush at once to test and turn him inside out, to 

 seize the good seed to bring forth much fruit, and to scatter the 

 chaff of his theories to the winds of heaven. 



Long may it be ere any posthumous biographer " attempts the 

 life " of the Squire of Rothamsted ! When in the fulness of time 

 it is written, there will be a noble record of a vast work done, 

 as the Temple was built, without noise ; the munificent sum 

 which Mr. Lawes has devoted to the certain continuance of his 

 practically scientific and life-long investigations, would alone 

 entitle him to our utmost gratitude. Mr. Thompson speaks of 

 •" the ill-appreciated labours of Mr. Lawes and Dr. Gilbert," 

 •of which the important results enrich so many pages in so many 

 volumes of the Journals of the Royal Agricultural Society. 

 Boussingault and Liebig paved the way for Lawes : they were 

 analytic ; he was in addition synthetic : they took to bits ; in 

 recombination Mr. Lawes built up again. He has taught us 

 that, self-contained, all land holds a certain continuous flow of 

 natural productiveness. This discovery puts in a clear light the 

 terms *' condition " and " high condition." Land run out is land 

 reduced to the original standard of fertility, for the natural 

 standard is fixed, and can hardly be destroyed. Condition, on 

 the other hand, is variable, and more or less quickly it may be 



