May 19, 192 1 J 



NATURE 



375 



Parliamentary Visit to the Rothamsted Experimental Station. 



ON May 13 the Minister of Agriculture (Sir Arthur 

 Griffith-Boscawen) and the Agricultural Com- 

 mittee of the House of Commons, together with mem- 

 bers of the House of Lords interested in agriculture, 

 visited the Rothamsted Experimental Station at the 

 invitation of the chairman, the Right Hon. Lord 

 Bledisloe, and the director, Dr. E. J. Russell. 



Fortunately the weather was fine, and the plots were 

 inspected under favourable conditions. The fields 

 visited included those in which the classical experi- 

 ments on the growth of wheat, barley, and meadow- 

 grass are conducted, and the salient features were 

 demonstrated by members of the staff. Other experi- 

 ments were shown to ascertain the comparative fer- 

 tiliser effects of ammonium chloride and ammonium 

 sulphate on cereals and potatoes, the effects of potass- 

 ium and magnesium salts on potatoes, the most 

 suitable time of application of nitrogenous fertilisers 

 to cereals, and the relationship between the quantity 

 of fertiliser used and the crop obtained, the last being 

 particularly interesting inasmuch as the effectiveness 

 of small and moderate dressings increases more 

 rapidly than the dressing, while with larger quantities 

 the effectiveness falls off. The experiments on electro- 

 culture were demonstrated, as also was the recent 

 work on the production of farmyard manure without 

 the intervention of animals. 



The whole of the laboratory work was seen, ranging 

 ov^er the chemical, physical, statistical, and biological 

 sciences, the last including bacteriology, botany, 



entomology, mycology, and protozoology. Many in- 

 teresting specimens were shown, and there were 

 other exhibits to illustrate the work going on in 

 the study of the soil, the growing plant, and plant 

 diseases. 



In his speech after lunch Lord Bledisloe welcomed 

 the guests and expressed the hope that this first visit 

 would be followed by many others of those members 

 of both Houses of Parliament interested in agricul- 

 ture. He directed attention to the report shortly 

 to be issued, in- which the work is discussed in full 

 detail and its bearing on agricultural practice indi- 

 cated. Dr. Russell outlined the more important in- 

 vestigations now proceeding, and emphasised the 

 necessity for the development of a sound agricultural 

 science which could be of use to the teacher, the ex- 

 pert adviser, and the progressive farmer. 



The Minister of Agriculture expressed his recogni- 

 tion of the great importance of the work being done 

 at Rothamsted and other research institutions, and 

 emphasised the fact that in such work lies one of 

 the best hopes for agriculture. Legislative enact- 

 ments are of course essential, but they cannot provide 

 the material for progress and development that is 

 furnished by sound scientific investigation. Although 

 the necessity for economy in every branch of public 

 activity was insistent, he would, so far as it lay 

 in his power, see to it that agricultural research should 

 not be called upon to suffer in the name of a false 

 economv. 



Habits of the Hedgehog. 



THE Memoirs and Proceedings of the Manchester 

 Literary and Philosophical Society for 1918-19 

 contain a paper by Mr. Miller Christy on "The 

 Ancient Legend as to the Hedgehog Carrying Fruits 

 upon its Spines." In the introduction to his paper 

 Mr. Christy pointed out that the legend is very old, 

 and that it is important to remember that since the 

 hedgehog is almost wholly a nocturnal animal it is 

 difficult to verify statements regarding its habits by 

 actual observation. The earliest recorded statement 

 that hedgehogs carry fruit on their spines was made by 

 Pliny the Elder ; Claudius ^lianus, who wrote about 

 A.D. 250, relates a similar tale. No further evidence is 

 recorded until the twelfth century, while during the 

 Middle Ages a number of writers and poets of many 

 countries related stories of hedgehogs carrying various 

 fruits in this way. Mr. Christy takes the view that most 

 of these people copied blindly the statements of their 

 predecessors. Of the more modern naturalists Buff on 

 discredited the legend, though other naturalists of his 

 time stated definitely that they had witnessed the 

 transportation of fruit by these means. Among 

 present-day writers on natural history little credence 

 is given to the tale, though two cases are reported in 

 which the evidence in support is regarded as trust- 

 worthy. We reprint below the substance of the sum- 

 mary of the evidence and the conclusions based 

 thereon with which Mr. Christy concluded his paper. 



The hedgehog-and-apples legend is at least two 

 thousand years old — more if it originated with 

 Aristotle, as has been stated; also it is prevalent 

 throughout practically the whole of Europe. There 

 must have been (one would think) some substratum 

 of actual observed fact, renewed from time to time, 

 to keep any legend of the kind alive so long and to 



NO. 2690, VOL. 107] 



cause it to become so widespread. Nevertheless, it 

 cannot be denied that most modern writers on 

 mammals, if they refer at all to the old legend, either 

 dismiss it as too absurd to be worth a moment's con- 

 sideration or at least show themselves decidedly 

 sceptical. 



But is the story really so incredible, after all? Are 

 we not apt, in these highly scientific days, to become 

 too contemptuously sceptical in regard to all ancient 

 legends of the kind, and to forget that, however 

 absurdly improbable they may appear at first sight, 

 not a few of them have been shown to have some 

 genuine basis in fact — often slight, but sufficient to 

 substantiate and justify them? In all such cases a 

 cautious scepticism should be, of course, maintained 

 up to a certain point; but it is well to remember a 

 dictum to which the late Prof. Huxley gave utterance 

 many years ago : " I have always felt a horror of 

 limiting the possibilities of things." 



But before accepting the old legend unreservedly, 

 there is one point which requires first to be con- 

 sidered : Does the hedgehog ever eat fruit ? As to 

 this crucial question many contradictory opinions have 

 been expressed. The truth seems to be that the 

 creature undoubtedly affects, in the main, an animal 

 diet, consisting chiefly of small reptiles, worms, snails, 

 slugs, insects, beetles, birds' eggs, and the like. In 

 confinement it will readily eat meat, either cooked or 

 uncooked, bread and milk, and many such substances 

 as are usually given to cats and dogs. Its partiality 

 for eggs has gained for it a very bad name among 

 gamekeepers, poultry-keepers, and such people. In 

 all probability, however, the robberies of eggs from 

 the nests of game-birds and poultry which are usually 

 ascribed to the hedgehog are really the work of some 

 other animal. 



