280 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



great treat to see with what broad intelligence, 

 infinite patience and pains they carried on their 

 work. It made me realize, as never before, what 

 true investigational work meant. But the practical 

 application of their work was not being appreci- 

 ated in England nor did the farmers appear to 

 be able to interpret the results in terms of their 

 own activities. 



I visited also the sewage farm and the agricul- 

 tural college at Seiencester but neither of them 

 gave me any valuable information. The sewage 

 farm was so overstocked with weeds and filth that 

 one could not admire it. If the farm had been of 

 nearly pure sand instead of soil lacking porosity, 

 the vast amount of sewage might have been dis- 

 posed of without otfense to the surrounding 

 country. 



The agricultural college of which I had heard 

 my colleague, Dr. Caldwell, speak, was situated 

 not far from the experiment farm of Dr. Laws 

 where Professor Caldwell had studied for a time. 

 The college was very disappointing for I had read 

 and admired many works on English agriculture 

 and where I had hoped to learn something of the 

 best methods of British industry, I found, instead, 

 an institution struck with dry rot. 



