Jan. 9, 1890] 



NATURE 



229 



A FIELD LAID DOWN TO PERMANENT 

 GRASS. 



A VALUABLE paper, by Sir J. B. Lawes, on the 

 history of a field laid down to permanent grass, has 

 been reprinted, by Messrs. Spottiswoode, from the Journal 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. The field 

 in question forms part of the Rothamsted estate, and was 

 laid down to permanent grass nearly thirty years ago, 

 by Dr. Gilbert, to whom it was let in 1856. It has been 

 mown for hay every year from the commencement ; and 

 in the present pamphlet Sir J. B. Lawes gives full particu- 

 lars as to the economical results, the constituents supplied 

 in the manures and removed in the crops, the changes 

 within the soil in the formation of the meadow, and the 

 botany of the meadow. The following are his summary 

 and general conclusions : — 



(i) By the judicious employment of manures, both 

 natural and artificial, arable land has been converted into 

 permanent grass, not only without loss, but with some 

 profit to the tenant. 



(2) The important constituents, nitrogen and phosphoric 

 acid, were supplied in the manures in larger quantities 

 than they were removed in the crops ; but potash in only 

 about the same quantity as it was removed. 



(3) The application of dung, not only compensates for 

 much of the exhaustion from the removal of hay, but it 

 has a beneficial influence on the botanical character of 

 the herbage. 



(4) Although the grass has been mown every year for 

 nearly thirty years, there has been a considerable accumu- 

 lation of fertihty within the soil. 



(5) Analysis has shown that there has been an increase 

 of nitrogen in the surface-soil, beyond that which could 

 be explained by excess supplied in manure over that re- 

 moved in crops, and by the combined nitrogen coming 

 down in rain, and the minor deposits from the atmosphere. 

 Part, if not the whole, of this increase is probably derived 

 from the subsoil by deeply-rooted plants, which after- 

 wards leave a nitrogenous residue within the surface-soil. 

 Or, possibly, some of it may have its source in the free 

 nitrogen of the atmosphere, brought into combination 

 within the soil, under the influence of micro-organisms, 

 or other low forms. 



(6) In laying down arable land to permanent grass, 

 especially if hay is to be removed, it is essential to 

 supply, not only nitrogenous, but an abundance of mineral 

 manures, and especially of potash, a large quantity of 

 which is removed in the crops, and must be returned. 

 When the grass is not mown, but fed, the exhaustion is 

 much less, but it is greater when consumed for the pro- 

 duction of milk than when for that of store or fattening 

 increase. 



THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF DECEMBER 22. 



MISFORTUNE has attended the double expedition 

 sent by the Royal Astronomical Society to observe 

 the total eclipse of December 22. In Africa observations 

 were made impossible by bad weather. Observations 

 were secured off the coast of French Guiana, but at a 

 cost which is deeply to be deplored — the death of Father 

 Perry. 



The telegram received from Demerara is as follows : — 

 " 104 corona American Perry dead dysentery." With 

 regard to the part of this telegram which needs explana- 

 tion, the Titnes of January 6 says: — " 104 is resolvable 

 into the factors 2, 4, and 13, of which the first number 

 means that the weather was only moderately good ; the 

 second that successful exposures were made with the 

 Abney 4-inch lens, but that the development was not 

 carried out, owing either to unfavourable climatic condi- 

 tions, or possibly to the illness of Father Perry ; and the 



third, that successful photographs were obtained with the 

 20-inch mirror, but again the development was not com- 

 pleted. The words corona American signify most prob- 

 ably that the corona was of the same form as that seen 

 on Januaiy i, 1889, when a total eclipse was successfully 

 observed in California, and the form was then that now 

 generally ascribed to a period of minimum sun-spots, 

 elongated at the sun's equator and radial but short at the 

 poles." 



NOTES. 



The list of those who received New Year's honours and 

 appointments included Brigade-Surgeon George King, F.R. S., 

 Bengal Medical Service, Superintendent of the Royal Botanical 

 Gardens, Calcutta. He has been made Companion of the most 

 eminent order of the Indian Empire. 



The seventy-second anniversary of the Institution of Civil 

 Engineers occurred last Thursday, when a revised list of the 

 members of all classes showed that the numbers on the books 

 amounted to 5904, representing an increase of 3^Spercent. in 

 the past twelve months. 



The Institution of Electrical Engineers will hold the first 

 meeting of the current term this evening, when the President, 

 Dr. John Hopkinson, F.R.S., will deliver his inaugural 

 address. 



The annual general meeting of the Royal Meteorological 

 Society will be held at 25 Great George Street, Westminster, 

 on Wednesday, the rsth inst., at 7.15 p.m., when the Report 

 of the Council will be read, the election of Officers and Council 

 for the ensuing year will take place, and the President (Dr. W. 

 Marcet, F.R.S.) will deliver an address on "Atmospheric 

 Dust," which will be illustrated by a number of lantern 

 slides. 



The Mining Jotcrnal is to be congratulated on the very 

 admirable portait of Dr. Archibald Geikie which appeared in 

 its issue of December 28. The portrait was accompanied by a 

 short but very good account of Dr. Geikie's life and labours. 



Dr. Raoul Gautier has been appointed » Professor of 

 Astronomy at the University of Geneva, and has at the same 

 time been made director of the Observatory. His father, 

 Colonel E. Gautier, retains his connection with the latter 

 establishment, with the title of honorary director. 



The Professorship of Agriculture and Rural Economy at 

 the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, vacant by the 

 resignation of Prof. McCracken, has been conferred upon an 

 old student and gold medallist of the College, Mr. James Muir. 



The arrangements of the Royal Botanic Society for 1890 

 include exhibitions of spring flowers on March 26 and April 23 ; 

 summer exhibitions of plants, flowers, and fruit, on May 14 

 and June 11 ; and an evening fete and exhibition on July 2. 

 Botanical lectures will be given on May 9, 16, 23, and 30, and 

 on June 6 and 13. These lectures will be free to all visitors in 

 the Gardens. 



On Thursday, January 16, Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., will 

 begin a course of twelve special evening lectures at the Finsbury 

 Technical College, on coal-tar products. The object of the 

 course is to describe the technology of the raw materials manu 

 factured from the tar. The theoretical treatment will serve 

 as a general introduction to the chemistry of the aromatic 

 compounds. A syllabus can be had on application to the 

 College. 



