December 25, 1919] 



NATURE 



425 



re-seeding had not been successful, a result which 

 they thought was "entirely due to the prevalence of 

 dry seasons, the germinating plants being killed before 

 they could get hold of the soil." A more successful 

 result is reported by Middleton, who on a poor pas- 

 ture on clay soil in Essex sowed, in the spring of 

 1903, 12 lb. per acre of wild white clover seed, with 

 and without basic slag, kainit, and lime, this treat- 

 ment being unaccompanied by harrowing. There 

 were no Leguminosae naturally present in the field. 

 Helped by abundant rain in the summer of 1903, the 

 seed germinated well, and " in 1904 the results were 

 very marked." It was, however, onlv when the 

 seeding had been accomp.mied by basic slag that 

 ■■ there was the luxuriant growth which one expects 

 in pastures where Leguminosae are present." 1 also 

 have reported on an experiment where renovating a 

 thin, poor pasture with 6 lb. per acre of wild white 

 clover seed was entirely successful, and here, too, the 

 beneficial effects were onlv secured in the presence of 

 basic slag. 



When a responsive pasture is treated for the first 

 time with, say. half a ton of basic slag per acre, the 

 effects reach their maximum usuallv in the third 

 season. From then onwards there is a steadv 

 diminution in the yield, though even after nine years 

 from the time of the initial dressing the improvement 

 is far from being exhausted. .\t Cockle Park, for 

 instance, the plot dressed once with half a ton of slag 

 was, at the end of nine years, producing three times 

 as much mutton as the continuously unmanured 

 ground, while at Sevington and Cransley the yield 

 at the end of nine and eight years respectively was 

 70 per cent, to 80 per cent, greater. None of the 

 other stations was carried on for so long a period, 

 but up to the end of the sixth year, most of them 

 show residual fertility which is as great as the 

 original rental value of the land. That is a verv 

 important result, but in the interests of the country 

 it is still more important to endeavour to secure that 

 the level reached at the period of maximum produc- 

 tivit\- shall be maintained. 



From this rapid survey of grass-land experiments 

 the following conclusions may legitimately be 

 drawn : — 



fi) That the quality of a pasture is not primarilv 

 dependent on its botanical composition, though, as a 

 rule, the presence of white clover and other Legu- 

 minosae is indicative of high feeding value. 



(2) That poor pastures, espcciallv on clav soil, can 

 be rapidl\- and orofitably improved by the use of 

 phosphates, especiallv basic slag. 



(3") That, as a rule, phosphates alone are necessary 

 to effect and maintain the improvement, and that, of 

 supplementary substances, potash and lime are occa- 

 sionaliv worthy of attention. 



(4) That the improvement of poor pasture is very 

 dependent on the presence of Leguminosae, and 

 especially of white clover. 



fj) That renovating with the seed of wild white 

 clover may, in the absence of natural Leguminosa, 

 be a necessarv oreliminarv or concurrent operation. 



(6) That cake can rarely be used at a profit, and 

 that, as « an agent in improving poor pasture, it 

 occupies an unsatisfactory position. 



(7) That nitrogen, whether in the form of artificial 

 manure or as cake residues, when added to phos- 

 phates for pasture, is always unnecessary and' fre- 

 quently detrimental. 



(5) That in the case of hay on permanent grass- 

 land, equal weights of |)roduce may have very different 

 feedinc values. 



(q) That few forms of agrif-ultural exoenditure are 

 more certain in their -esults than the judicious use of 

 manures on grass-land, and that the meat- and milU- 

 NO. 2617. VOL. 104] 



producing capacity of the country can be largely and 

 rapidly increased, with great pecuniary gain to the 

 farmer, and still greater economic advantage to the 



nation. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



BiRMi.NGHAM. — Mr. C. Grant Robertson, tutor in 

 modern history since 1905 to Magdalen College, 

 O.xford, and a stimulating lecturer upon national 

 development, has been appointed to succeed Sir Oliver 

 Lodge as Principal of the University. 



Cambridge. — Mr. K. J. J. Mackenzie has been re- 

 appointed reader in agriculture. Other appointments 

 are : — Mr. VV. J. Harrison, University lecturer in 

 m^athematics ; Mr. .-\. Wood, L'niversity lecturer in 

 experimental physics ; Mr. A. G. Tansley, University 

 lecturer in botany ; and Mr. F. Balfour Browne, Uni- 

 versity lecturer in zoology. 



Durham. — Members of the University are invited 

 to help in compiling the definitive edition of the Roll 

 of Service and Roll of Honour. The latest date for 

 receiving forms framed to include all details of mili- 

 tary service is December 31. The address of the 

 University offices is 38 North Bailey, Durham. 



Edinburgh. — The University Court has made the 

 following appointments to three newly instituted 

 chairs : — Dr. G. M. Robertson to the professorship of 

 psychiatry. Dr. J. H. .Xshworth to the professorship 

 of zoology, and Mr. T. P. Laird to the professorship 

 of accounting and business method. 



The following appointments have also been made : — 

 Dr. F. E. Jardirie as lecturer on applied anatomy, 

 and Dr. David Lees as lecturer on venereal diseases. 



The Right Hon. Lord Lyell of Kinnordy has pre- 

 sented to the geology department forty-six volumes 

 which had formed part of Sir Charles Lyell's library 

 when he was preparing his " Principles of Geology." 



The late Mr. "Samuel Elliott, of New York, has 

 bequeathed to the University Court the sum of i^oo/. 

 to be held in trust by it for the purpose of applying 

 the income in providing scholarships or prizes in con- 

 nection with the classes of the professors of rhetoric 

 and English literature and of ancient history and 

 palaographv, the scholarships or prizes to be known 

 as the James Elliott scholarships or prizes, in memory 

 of the testator's brother, James Elliott, who was a 

 student and graduate of the University. 



.\t the last meeting of the Munitions Committee, 

 South-East of Scotland .Vrea, a sum of jooZ. was set 

 aside to be expended in providing additional equip- 

 ment for the engineering laboratory. 



Liverpool. — Mr. T. E. Peet has been appointed to 

 the Brunner chair of Egyptology, and Dr. J. Share 

 Jones to the chair of veterinary anatomy. 



London.— Dr. Sydney Russell Wells has been 

 elected Vice-Chancellor in succession to Sir Cooper 

 Perrv. who has been appointed to the post of Principal 

 Officer. 



Sir Richard Glazebrook has been appointed to the 

 Zaharoff chair of aviation tenable at the Imperial 

 College of Science and Technology, founded by Sir 

 Basil Zaharoff, who gave to the University the sum 

 of 2:,,oool. for this purpose. 



Dr. A. P. Newton has been appointed, as from 

 September i, 1020, the first occupant of the newlv 

 established Rhodes chair of Imperial history tenable 

 at King's College. 



Prof. W. Bulloch has fjeen appointed, as from 

 January t, Tp2o, the first occupant of the newlv 

 established Goldsmiths' Company's chair of bac- 



