1868. ] (201. ») 
CHRONICLES OF SCIENCE. 
1. AGRICULTURE. 
Tue need of extending the benefits of education to the children of 
agricultural labourers—the importance of defined relations between 
landlord and tenant—the necessity of continued legislation about 
the home and foreign cattle traftic—the limits put by the nature of 
the living things which the farmer cultivates to the enterprise of 
the agriculturist—the theory of land drainage—the relative values 
of our leading breeds of cattle—the cultivation of the sugar beet— 
the extension of the co-operative system—the improvement of the 
Irish butter manufacture —the activity of Farmers’ Clubs and 
Chambers of Agriculture:—these are some of the subjects which 
have occupied the attention of agriculturists and agricultural 
readers during the past quarter. If we take the last subject first, 
it is that we may point out with what promptitude, activity, and 
force all these topics are now brought under the notice of the 
farmer as soon as their importance is established or even suggested. 
With all that lack of union and organization which distinguishes 
agriculturists, when on any political question their voice or influence 
is desired, there is yet no occupation or profession in the country 
like theirs for such a frank and constant discussion by its members 
of the principles and methods of their business, as one witnesses at 
the meetings of Farmers’ Clubs all over the country. Of this a 
few examples will suffice. The paper lately read by Mr. Bone, of 
Ringwood, before a Hampshire Agricultural Society, may be named 
as one. He discussed what he called the staple improvemenis of 
land: meaning thereby the permanent improvements of which the 
soil itself, apart from the mere current management of it, is capable. 
Among them is the improved texture which is conferred by the 
application of marls to sands, the processes of burning and draining 
clays, and the use of lime and chalk on both sands and clays. A 
very able and exhaustive treatise on what may be considered rather 
the landlord’s than the tenant’s interest in the soil was thus laid 
before a meeting of farmers, who were told a great deal of useful 
information for which they have to thank the geologist and chemist. 
Several of the tenant-farmers present related facts within their own 
experience, which not only proved the value of the processes Mr. 
Bone had recommended, but illustrated the cost of them, and 
therefore the need of a certain tenancy for a term of years, which 
alone would justify a tenant in incurring the expenditure involved. 
The relations of landlord and tenant, on which so much of the fer- 
tility of the soil is thus shown to depend, are the subject of constant 
