Oct. 27, 1887] 



NATURE 



623 



He continues as follows : — "The Rothamsted result of 28f 

 bushels, which more probably under- than overrates the crop of 

 ihe country, if calculated upon the slightly increased area this 

 year, namely, 2,383,584 acres, gives an aggregate produce for 

 the United Kingdom of 8,454,275 quarters. Hitherto we have 

 always deducted 2\ bushels per acre for seed, but this is supposed 

 to be too high an average at the present time, and if we deduct 

 only 2 bushels, there remain 7,858,379, or rather less than 

 8 million quarters available for consumption. Still estimating 

 the consumption per head of the population at 5 "65 bushels, the 

 requirement for the harvest year would be 26,419,940, or nearly 

 26^ million quarters, of which about i8.| million quarters would 

 have to be supplied by stocks and imports. 



" For some reason the imports of wheat have been below the 

 estimated requirements for the last two years. Whether, or to 

 what extent, this is due to previous accumulations, to the home 

 crops having been underrated, or to a reduction in the consump- 

 tion of bread and flour, there is not sufficient evidence to decide 

 conclusively. If there has been a reduced consumption, the 

 question arises whether there has been an increased consumption 

 of other foods. During the last few years there has been some 

 increase in the number of both cows and other cattle kept, but 

 there has upon the whole been a reduction in the number of both 

 sheep and pigs. In fact, the records, neither of the home pro- 

 duction, nor of the imports, of animal foods, aftbrd evidence of 

 any material increase in the consumption per head of such foods. 



" Further, a careful examination of the amounts of the imports 

 if other articles used as human food shows in the aggregate a 

 reduction rather than an increase in proportion to the population. 

 In such articles as rice and potatoes, for example, which would 

 to some extent substitute wheat, the decline in the imports is 

 very marked. Thus, whilst during the five years 1877-81, 

 the average annual imports of potatoes amounted to 395,277 

 tons, during the five years 1882-86 they amounted to only 

 156,017 tons, or to considerably less than one-half. Nor is it 

 probable that the amount of maize flour used has at all materially 

 affected the consumption of wheat. The indication would thus 

 seem to be, therefore, that if the consumption of wheat has 

 really declined, either the total consumption of food per head of 

 the population has also declined, or that the deficiency in the 

 wheat imports has been compensated by increased supplies of 

 home-grown foods. So far as potatoes are concerned, however, 

 the ' Agricultural Produce Statistics ' show a decline in area, in 

 produce per acre, and in aggregate produce, both in 1885 and in 

 1886 compared with 1884. On the other hand, there has, not- 

 withstanding an increase in the imports of other vegetables, been 

 a considerable increase in the area devoted to market gardening 

 during the last few years, and also an increase in the area of 

 allotment gardens. It would obviously be a ground of satis- 

 faction should further information and consideration show that, 

 notwithstanding the very low prices of grain, there has been a 

 larger consumption of some other home-produced foods. 



"Whilst it is obviously of importance to the grower that his 

 wheat crop should yield well, it has ceased to be a question of 

 any interest to the consumer whether the yield of the home crop 

 is a few bushels per acre more or less. Nor does such a dif- 

 ference, on our much reduced area, at all materially affect the 

 svtpply from foreign sources. Durin;; the eight harvest years 

 1852-53 to 1859-60, which were the first of our estimates of the 

 home wheat crop, nearly three -fourths of the aggregate amount 

 consumed was of home growth, and little more than one-fourth 

 was derived from foreign sources ; but during the eight years 

 1878-79 to 1885-86 little more than one-third has been provided 

 by the home crop, and nearly two-thirds by imports ; and were 

 it not for the value of the straw for bedding purposes it is pro- 

 bable that the reduction in the area under the crop would have 

 been even greater than has actually been the case. 



"Althoughgreater facilities for acquiring land have been afforded 

 by the Acts of Parliament recently passed, there is not much 

 probability that the result will be an increase in the area under 

 wheat, or other grain crops ; or in fact that tillage on a small 

 scale will successfully compete with arable farming as at present 

 practised. Nor is it likely that there will be any permanent 

 extension of peasant holdings of pasture land, excepting in 

 localities where the soil and climate are specially favourable for 

 permanent grass. But garden allotments, as distinguished from 

 peasant holdings or from farm allotments, are of very great 

 advantage to the masses of the population, and will no doubt 

 continue to extend as they have done largely during the last 

 quarter of a century." 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



King's College, London.— A new laboratory has been 

 fitted up in the College. It is provided with a collection of 

 pathological material, biological, histological, and chemical 

 apparatus, and is intended to afford every facility for obtaining a 

 practical knowledge of bacteriology, and for prosecuting original 

 research in all matters relating to human and comparative micro- 

 pathology. 



The laboratory is open to all gentlemen, whether students of 

 other departments of the College or not. The practical courses 

 and lectures are specially intended for medical officers of health, 

 veterinary surgeons, and analysts. 



A certificate of attendance will be granted to each member of 

 these courses. 



The winter course of lectures with practical work will com- 

 mence on November i. There will be about fifteen lectures, 

 and the practical course will last for thirty days. The lectures 

 will be delivered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 

 at 10 a.m. 



They will be illustrated with diagrams and typical preparations 

 and followed by practical work in the laboratory for the rest of 

 the day. 



Admission will be permitted to the lectures without the practical 

 work. 



In the case of medical men in practice, medical officers, and 

 veterinary surgeons of the army, and others whose duties may 

 prevent their attending the laboratory daily, special arrangements 

 will be made for extending the days of attendance over a longer 

 period. 



For further particulars apply to Prof. Crookshank, King's 

 College, London, or to the Secretary, J. W. Cunningham. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Liverpool. 

 Astronomical Society, October 10. — Mr. W. F. Denning, 

 of Bristol, President, in the chair. — This was the first meet- 

 ing of the seventh session, and sixty-one candidates were 

 proposed as members. — In his opening address the President 

 referred to the last volume of their Journal as exhibiting 

 the varied and attractive character of the work in which 

 the members had been engaged. The angular measurements 

 of fifty binary stars had been completed, and a valuable 

 series of illustrated articles on lunar objects had been published. 

 The remarkable dark patches in the "crape" ring of Saturn 

 were observed and described by members at Bedford, and 

 Louvain in Belgium. There had been a wide-felt regret that 

 the objects of the Society's Eclipse Expedition of August 19 

 had been defeated by cloudy weather. Observations of Jupiter 

 had been reported, and the increase in the rotation-period of his 

 red spot fully verified. The meteoric section had made con- 

 siderable progress. To the several members who had so 

 practically aided the Society in its efforts to promote a know- 

 ledge of astronomy their warmest thanks were due. The ensuing 

 session gave projiise of increased activity, particularly in the 

 stellar, planetary, and meteoric sections. The action of the 

 American members in having so disinterestedly set aside 

 national prejudices to enter into a bond of fellowship with 

 English observers, had afforded great satisfaction, and must 

 lead to a considerable extension in the Society's connexions 

 and sphere of usefulness. The Society owed a debt of gratitude 

 to Mr. W. H. Davies, F.R.A.S., the Hon. Secretary, for the 

 untiring zeal which he had displayed in a very laborious office 

 during several years. Undoubtedly a great future lay before the 

 Liverpool Astronomical Society if its meJibers continued their 

 hitherto united policy. Individual interests and ambitions mast 

 be made subordinate to greater aims. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, October 17. — M. Janssen in the 

 chair.— Catalogue of the Paris Observatory, by M. Mouchez. 

 The revision of Lalande's Catalogue, made in 1791 -1800, and 

 containing the positions of 47,390 stars, was begun in 1854 by 

 Leverrier, continued in 1878 by M. Mouchez, and now com- 

 pleted far enough to begin the publication of the results. The 

 tirst two volumes, which have just been issued, contain the 7245 



