June 23, 19 10] 



NATURE 



507 



000* in N.P.D. The moon was observed on 146 days 

 during the year, and observations of Mars and of 

 1 ley's comet, in and out of the meridian, were also 

 ured. 



i >ouble stars and planetary diameters were measured 

 1 the 28-inch refractor, 150 of the pairs having separa- 

 s less than o-j* and 296 pairs less than i-o*. 

 A ith the 26-inch refractor 146 planetary photographs were 

 ired, including sixty-two of Mars, taken between July 

 1909, and May 14, for an investigation of its orbit, 

 lanets, satellites, and comets 1909a, h, c (Halley's), and 

 re also photographed with the 30-inch reflector ; among 

 ^e were twelve photographs of Saturn and Phoebe, 

 teen of Jupiter and J. viii., and forty-four of Halley's 

 net. The first photograph of J. viii. during this opposi- 

 was secured on January 19, and the observed correc- 

 to the position given by the Cowell-Crommelin- 

 . idson orbit was only 7" ; this satellite has now per- 

 iled one complete revolution since its discovery. A slight 

 igation of the images taken with the 30-inch reflector 

 - attributed to a small shift of the mirror cell, and has 

 ', completely eliminated by rounding the ends of the 

 sorting screws and making hollows to receive them 

 ;he bed on which the cell rests. A 6-inch lens, kindly 

 by Mr. Franklin Adams for photographing the 

 nsions of the tail of Halley's comet, and a prismatic 

 lera for photographing the spectrum, were attached to 

 30-inch reflector, but the bright twilight and low alti- 

 of the comet prevented the latter observations. 

 The work on the Greenwich astrographic zones being 

 plete, the 13-inch astrographic refractor was employed 

 il April for cometary and various other photographic 

 observations. Since then it has been used for photograph- 

 ing the astrographic zones -1-25° to -1-31°, originally 

 allotted to the Oxford University Observatory. The stars 

 on these chart plates are also to be counted at Greenwich, 

 as are also those on the catalogue plates, which are being 

 re-taken for the purpose. For photographing Halley's 

 comet a new Ross lens of 4 inches aperture and 16 inches 

 focal length has been attached to the lo-inch finder of the 

 astrographic instrument. 



Of the 307 days' difference between the perihelion passage 

 of Halley's comet and the date predicted by D.s. Cowell 

 and Crommelin, one day has been accounted for in a re- 

 discussion of the perturbations during 1828-42, but the 

 further discordance of two days is as yet unaccounted for 

 by any attraction of known matter in the solar system. 

 The observations show that none of the other elements 

 was so much as i' in error. 



During the period dealt with by the report the sun was 

 photographed at Greenwich on 194 days, and the Royal 

 Observatory contributed 171 days towards the record -for 

 1909, which is now complete, with the assistance of the 

 Dehra Dun and Kodaikanal Observatories, except for two 

 days. In this work the Cape Observatory now replaces 

 the Royal Alfred Observatory, Mauritius, and the hope is 

 expressed that the yearly record may be made up almost 

 entirely from the plates taken at the two Royal Observa- 

 tories. Greenwich and the Cape ; during March their record 

 was complete except for one day. 



The magnetic observations were carried on as usual, but 

 the registration of earth currents was discontinued at the 

 end of 1909 because new wiring was found to be necessary, 

 and was considered unjustified owing to the disturbances 

 produced by the electric trams, &c. 



For 1909 the principal magnetic results were : — 

 Mean declination 15° 47*6' W. 



„ horizontal force \ 4'°'79 i" British units 



( I 8526 ,, metric ,, 

 ,, dip (3-inch needles^ ... 66° 53' 57" 



Two days of " greater " and six days of " lesser " dis- 

 turbance were registered by the magnets. 



The reductions of the meteorological observations are 

 complete to date, and show that the mean temperature of 

 1909 was 48-6°, 1° below the 65-year average 1841-1905. 

 The rainfall for the year ended April 30 was 27-72 inches, 

 3-6 above the average, and the number of " rainy days " 

 was 192, the highest for many years. 



The performance of the chronometers tested was satis- 

 factory, and in future non-magnetic watches are to be 

 received and submitted to the same tests as the chrono- 

 NO. 2 12 I, VOL. 8.^] 



meter watches. A new trial of box chronometers com- 

 menced on June 18, and the next trial of pocket chrono- 

 meters and chronometer watches will commence on July 30. 

 The time-signal service was also satisfactory, and the per- 

 formance of the Westminster clock (" Big Ben ") left little 

 to be desired. On 41 per cent, of the days its error was 

 less than o-5s., on 77 per cent, less than i-os., and on 

 98 per cent, less than 2-os. ; it never exceeded three seconds. 

 The vacancy on the personnel caused by the resignation 

 of Dr. Cowell has not yet been filled, and, in closing the 

 report, Sir William Christie tenders his hearty thanks to 

 the staff for their loyal cooperation in the prosecution and 

 extension of the observatory's work during his tenure of 

 the office of Astronomer Royal. Although the work has 

 been enormously extended during the past thirty years, the 

 financial provision for it has been increased by only 2200/. 

 per annum. 



AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH. 

 'T'HE need for widely extended facilities for agricultural 

 research is being more and more recognised both by 

 men of science and by our administrative authorities. At 

 the last meeting of the executive committee of the British 

 Science Guild a memorial to the Prime Minister on the 

 subject of research in agriculture was approved. The 

 President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has 

 now appointed a committee to advise the Board as to how 

 agricultural research may be best encouraged and improved. 

 Lastly, a society has been incorporated to secure the 

 development and extension of the investigations inaugurated 

 and endowed by the late Sir John Lawes. These are all 

 excellent indications that a determined and united effort 

 is to be made to place agricultural practice upon a scientific 

 basis, and to secure for the British farmer all the help 

 scier.ee is able to provide. 



The committee appointed by Earl Carrington to advise 

 the Board of Agriculture on all scientific questions bearing 

 directly on the improvement of agriculture will deal 

 especially with the methods to be adopted (a) for pro- 

 moting agricultural research in universities and other 

 scientific schools ; {h) for aiding scientific workers engaged 

 in the study of agricultural problems ; and (c) for ensuring 

 that new scientific discoveries are utilised for the benefit 

 of agriculturists. 



The committee will consist of the Duke of Devonshire, 

 Lord Reay, Sir Edward Thorpe, C.B., F.R.S., Mr. David 

 Davies, M.P., Dr. J. J. Dobbie, F.R.S. (principal of the 

 Government Laboratories), Prof. J. B. Farmer, F.R.S., 

 Dr. S. F. Harmer, F.R.S. (keeper of zoology at the 

 Natural History Museum), Dr. R. Stewart MacDougall 

 (technical adviser in zoology to the Board of .Agriculture 

 and Fisheries), Mr. T. H. ^liddleton (one of the assistant- 

 secretaries to the Board of .Agriculture and Fisheries), Mr. 

 Spencer P. Pickering, F.R.S., Lieut. -Colonel David Prain, 

 CLE., F.R.S. (director of the Roval Botanic Gardens, 

 Kew), Mr. H. S. Staveley-Hill, M.P'.. Mr. Stewart Stock- 

 man (chief veterinarv officer of the Board of .Agriculture 

 and Fisheries), Dr. J. J. H. Teall, F.R.S. (director of the 

 Geological Survey and Museum), and Dr. David Wilson. 

 Mr. Middleton will act as chairman of the committee, and 

 one of the officers of the Intelligence Division of the Board 

 will act as secretary. 



A meeting of the Society for Extending the Rothamsted 

 Experiments w'as held at Rothamsted on June 16 under 

 the presidency of the Duke of Devonshire. The society- 

 has been incorporated with the object of obtaining 

 additional funds for the development of the agricultural 

 investigations which have been carried on so long under 

 the late Sir John Lawes and the Lawes Agricultural Trust 

 which he afterwards founded. The immediate object of 

 the society is to obtain a sum of 5000Z. in order to secure 

 about 200 acres of land adjoining the present experimental 

 fields, and erect thereon the buildings required for feeding 

 experiments with the crops under investigation. 



.An apoeal for subscriptions towards thus securing a 

 small self-contained farm for the Rothamsted Experimental 

 Station is now being circulated, and at this meeting of 

 the society a first list of donations was reported from the 

 Duke of Devonshire, Lord Iveagh, Sir J. T. Brunner. 

 Colonel E. H. Cariile, M.P.. Mr. J. F. Mason, M.P., and 

 Mr. J. Martin White, amounting to 1450Z. 



