114 



NATURE 



[November 23, 191 1 



In part ii. the results are discussed. After a detailed 

 account of the secular and annular variations, the 

 diurnal variations are examined from all possible 

 points of view. The Fourier coefl'icients are calculated, 

 and the differences between quiet days and the average 

 values for all days are examined. An interesting 

 chapter deals with magnetic disturbances and their 

 effects on the periodic changes; the results obtained 

 seem to be in agreement with those noted in other 

 places. When the curves of different localities are 

 compared, Mr. Moos finds that the progression of an 

 average disturbance appears to be made up of a 

 common pulse which commences everywhere simul- 

 taneously, a further change taking about ten or eleven 

 hours to reach its maximum, and finally an accen- 

 tuated diurnal wave. This last point is of some 

 importance. 



The special discussion of quiet days brings out the 

 result that the absolute value of the horizontal force 

 is higher, but that the annual variation is practically 

 the same whether derived from these quiet days or 

 from all days. It is interesting to find that when the 

 quiet days are selected with reference to the magnetic 

 state of the whole earth, the results differ less from 

 the average of all days than when the quiet days are 

 selected by purely local conditions. This result may 

 prove to be of considerable significance to anyone 

 seeking an explanation of the after-effects of a 

 magnetic disturbance, for it seems to show that these 

 after-effects are confined to those parts of the earth 

 which have been affected by the storm. 



Special attention must be directed to the chapter 

 which deals with lunar effects. The influence of the 

 moon on terrestrial magnetism — which undoubtedly 

 exists — may either be an atmospheric effect or be due 

 to the tidal distortion of the earth. It is of the 

 highest importance to decide which it is, and for this 

 purpose it is necessary to obtain the lunar variations 

 at a number of different stations. Mr. Moos has done 

 his share of the work for Bombay, but there are too 

 few observatories which give sufticient data to allow 

 a general discussion of lunar effects. The last two 

 chapters deal with the connection of terrestrial mag- 

 netism with solar spots and its relation to meteoro- 

 logical and seismic phenomena. 



Mr. Moos deserves the highest credit for having 

 undertaken a work of such enormous labour as the 

 preparation of these two volumes must have involved. 

 We have only two criticisms to make. Some credit 

 should have been given to the earlier observers, to 

 whom the observatory of Colaba owes, in the first 

 instance, its deservedly high reputation. Reference 

 ought, for instance, to have been made to the volume 

 published in 1872 by Mr. Charles Chambers, whose 

 name only occurs in connection with a paper on the 

 lunar effect published in the Philosophical Transac- 

 tions. The second criticism mav seem trivial, but is 

 provoked by an unnecessary amount of trouble caused 

 to the reader who looks at the laudably complete table 

 of contents only to find that the references (in the 

 second volume) are all to paragraphs and not to pages. 

 Some of these paragraphs cover a great number of 

 pages, and much irritation is caused by the time spent 

 in turning over page after page until the right para- 

 graph IS found. The references should either have 

 been made to pages, or the number of the para- 

 graph should have been printed at the top of every 

 page. ^ 



The two volumes, even with their minor faults of 

 diffuseness and occasional obscurities of expression, 

 form a most valuable book of reference, which no 

 doubt will be extensively used bv evervone wishing 

 to obtam an insight into the comiplicated phenomena 

 of terrestrial magnetism. 



NO. 2195. VOL. 881 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE Uh 

 VERS IT Y AND THE SCHOOL.' 



\\J HEN the council of the Reading Univet^ 

 *• College decided to develop their agricultUj 

 department, they very wisely began by taking tH 

 of the situation, and in view of the report of 

 departmental committee appointed by the Board ' 

 Agriculture to investigate agricultural education 

 England and Wales, they decided to go abroad i 

 information. For the report confesses that i 

 majority of English farmers are not reached by t 

 agricultural colleges at all ; indeed, one witness w« 

 so far as to assert that not more than 5 per cent, 

 the farmers of England are directly affected by 



Agricultural colleges have, however, gained th« 

 fidence of the farmers of Canada and the 

 States. A deputation appointed by the college 

 fore visited the Macdonald College, St. Anne 

 Bellevue ; the Central Experimental Farm, Ottai 

 the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph ; and 

 Cornell and Wisconsin Universities in the States, 

 discover what features these institutions possess 

 enable them to gain the confidence of the farmer, 

 all the institutions the question of rural life as a wl 

 is frankly dealt with, and women's courses, as 

 as men's, are arranged. Taking as a good exa 

 the Guelph College : there is a woman's ins 

 where a complete training for rural life is afforc 

 women ; there are altogether thirteen hundred 

 and women students, a third of whom are 

 the full diploma or degree course ; and 

 is so great a bond between the college and the fa 

 that during June, 1910, more than 40,000 aj 

 turists visited, or were expected to visit, the plots 

 demonstrations. In 1909, the college conducte^j 

 finite experimental work on nearly 5,000 fa 

 Further, the college has about eleven official 

 sionaries in the province : graduates who are senll 

 to gain the confidence of the farmer, to advise 

 possible on agricultural matters, and, above all, f6 

 bring the farmer into touch with the college. But 

 the college is only part of a larger scheme. ' 

 Government of Ontario has a definite agricuhu ... 

 policy briefly set out in the report, into which we 

 not enter, except to note that the college is the 

 for teaching, experiment, and constructive ifl 

 "From Guelph go forth to the country the tra 

 farmer, the trained rural teacher, and the tra 

 housewife." The college, however, is in no bon^ 

 to its official position, nor does its connection witl 

 University of Toronto give it any airs of superi« 

 or cold academic aloofness; it is closely in touch 

 its province by countless personal ties and shoi 

 lively and vigorous sense of its responsibility. 



With local modifications the same remarks app| 

 all the other colleges visited. In all cases 

 college is the centre of agricultural life for its 

 trict, and its staff is primarily concerned withj 

 improvement of the local rural life. 



Why is it that the Canadian and American col 

 have succeeded so well, whilst the English coll* 

 whatever else they have achieved, have certainly] 

 become the centre of rural life in the country? Pa 

 the deputation consider, because the English far 

 is already highly competent and can only be hel"' 

 by ver>' able specialists. He has behind him a k 

 tradition, and need look to no one for advice; in 

 Canada and the States, on the other hand, the farmer ; 

 has usually no tradition and must perforce turn 



1 Ajrricultural Education : Report of .1 Depnlation appointed by 

 Council of Univers'ty College, Reading, to visit selected centres of A 

 cultural Education and Research in Canada and in the United States. 



Memorandum on the Principles and Methods of Rural Education. (B' 

 of Education, 191 1.) 



