November i8, 1915] 



NATURE 



l'^^ 



I 



creased its cost by greater care being given to its 

 compilation and by enriching it with good repro- 

 ductions of photographs of diseased crops. 



.4 First Book of School Gardening. (First Books 

 of Science.) By A. Logan. Pp. vi+151. 

 (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1915.) 

 Price IS. 6d. 

 The aim of school gardening in this country is 

 too often merely to teach children to grow cab- 

 bages (and other crops) successfully. The author 

 of this little volume, who is well known as a 

 pioneer of school gardening in the north of 

 Scotland, would, in addition, "instruct pupils in 

 the fundamental principles of soil management 

 .ind plant growth." This double aim is carried 

 >ut by means of classroom lessons and practical 

 work. " Neither of these types of work, how- 

 ever, has been allowed to encroach upon the 

 other." The book is much more handy in size 

 than the author's previous volume, and is better 

 for being more concise. It will be welcomed by 

 numerous teachers as being exactly what they 

 want. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for 

 opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither 

 can he undertake to return, or to correspond ii'iih 

 the luriters of, rejected manuscripts intended for 

 this or any other part of Nature. No notice is 

 taken of ationymous communications.] 



Modern Universities in China. 



Everyone knows that the Chinese once led the 

 world in scientific and material development. What 

 may surprise Europeans who are unacquainted with 

 the Far East is that they understood the principles 

 of good engineering design long before our learned 

 men in Britain had investigated such matters. 



The arch, beautiful from the scientific as well as 

 the aesthetic point of view, is frequently to be seen 

 in parts of China which have only recently been ex- 

 plored by the white man. The undoubted antiquity 

 if many existing examples proves that this type of 

 structure antedates the arrival of the foreigner. Like 

 printing and gunpowder and many other inventions 

 and discoveries, it was probably of Chinese origin. 

 The bridges, the pagodas, the city walls, and certain 

 details of building construction to be seen in China 

 demonstrate that many centuries ago there were men 

 in that wonderful country who had a complete under- 

 standing of some most important principles used in 

 ipplied science work. 



Unfortunately there came a time when classical 



• duration alone was in favour. The disasters, political 

 and economic, which have fallen upon the Chinese 

 during their recent history have been in no small 

 measure due to the paralysing effect of their educa- 

 tional system. About thirty years ago a very few 

 people in authority in Peking realised this fact. During 

 the last .ten or fifteen years there have been violent 

 changes in the outlook of millions of the people. The 

 old ideas concerning education are almost dead. 

 Western knowledge is in demand. 



• Many Chinese have entered the universities of 

 Europe, America, and Japan. .'\n effort has also been 

 made to create universities in China. Anyone who has 

 :aken an interest in the lives of Oriental students in 

 Hngland must come to the conclusion that it is better 



NO. 2403, VOL. 96] 



to carry Western learning to China, rather than send 

 Eastern students to Europe. 



The number of modern universities in China is not 

 great. There are some under the control of the 

 various missionary societies, but of these there is only 

 one ^t. John's University, Shanghai) which has any 

 real claim to the title. Other institutions, with praise- 

 ] worthy ambitions but poor finances, connected with 

 the work of evangelisation are the North China Uni- 

 versity, the Soochow University, and those known as 

 the Shantung Christian, the Nanking, and the Boone 

 (Wuchang) Universities. 



The three which are under entirely secular control 

 are the University of Hong Kong, the Government 

 University of Peking, and the Peiyang University, 

 Tientsin. 



.\n important visitor to any of these centres of learn- 

 ing would come to the conclusion that there is only 

 one of them which is entitled to be ranked with the 

 provincial universities of England. The missionaries 

 have not sufficient funds to obtain the necessary staff 

 and equipment. The Chinese Government place the 

 administration in the hands of Chinese officials, which 

 is almost hof)eIess. Corruption still exists in high 

 places, despite the changes due to the revolution of 

 1911. 



The University of Hong Kong has ajready established 

 itself as worthy of British traditions. It commenced 

 its career in 1912, and after three years it has earned 

 the confidence of both Chinese and Europeans in the 

 Far East. 



Two events which have recently occurred are signifi- 

 cant. President Yuan has provided two thousand 

 dollars per annum for scholarships, tenable by Chinese 

 subjects. A wealthy Chinese, resident for many years 

 in the Straits Settlements, has recently given the 

 University a sum of money equivalent to about 30,000?. 

 The conditions of his bequest are curious. He has 

 lent the University half a million dollars, without 

 interest, for twenty-one years. 



A few weeks before this offer was received, a citizen 

 of Hong Kong, named Ho Tung, presented the I'ni- 

 versity with one hundred thousand dollars. 



In order to show that the local Chinese are sym» 

 pathetic to, and interested in, this centre of learning, 

 it may be mentioned that a few months ago the writer 

 obtained from them the promise of about one thousand 

 pounds for a cricket pavilion for the Students' Union. 

 This money was raised in a few days, despite the 

 fact that everyone in the colony has given very freely 

 to the various war funds. 



The University buildings were presented by a wealthy 

 Parsee, the late Sir Hormusjee Mody. The Government 

 gave the site. An endowment fund, exceeding one 

 million dollars, was collected by the Chinese. Messrs. 

 John Swire and Sons, and affiliated firms, provided 

 40,000/., and the first chair to be endowed in the Uni- 

 versity is called the Taikoo chair of engineering, as the 

 Chinese name for this important mercantile house is 

 Taikoo. Various other British firms in the Far East 

 subscribed to the original endowment fund. The 

 Government of the colony contributes aoooi. per 

 annum, which the Chinese members of the Legislative 

 Council think should be increased. 



.\fter an experience of three years, the University 

 authorities have every reason to be satisfied with their 

 work. There are now about two hundred under- 

 graduates. The tuition fees are the equivalent of 

 thirty pounds per annum, and, in addition, the student 

 must pay for his board and lodging in one of the five 

 hostels or colleges. It probably costs a parent about 

 100/. per annum to send his son to the University. 

 This compares favourably with the cost of sending him 

 to Europe or .America.' The engineering and arts 



