156 JOHN STEVENS HENSLOW 



This led to their becoming a recognised article of trade. 

 Large fortunes have been realised in Suffolk by owners of land 

 containing the nodule bed, though frequently occurring at a 

 considerable depth. 



In 1848 he advocated the use of phosphate nodules in the 

 " Greensand " beds of Cambridgeshire. These also soon became 

 a commercial commodity. 



In 1849, Professor Henslow delivered the inaugural address 

 on the foundation of the Ipswich Museum, the object being, 

 for "Giving Instruction to the working Classes in Ipswich in 

 various branches of Science and more especially Natural 

 History." It affords the best example of his views generally 

 upon the uses of Science, not only as being of indisputable 

 value in all useful arts, but as a means of education by dispelling 

 the then prevailing ignorance and harmful prejudices rife in 

 those days, even among men learned in other subjects at our 

 Universities. 



He illustrates his remarks from the chief sciences, as in 

 Astronomy, by its importance in understanding the laws of 

 storms and tides, which Whewell was then studying. Agri- 

 culture was touched upon, in showing the importance of a 

 knowledge of Vegetable Physiology, and illustrated by the 

 parasites, yellow Rattle and Wheat-rust. He insisted upon the 

 educational value of accuracy, demanded of the scientist, and 

 the avoiding a priori assumptions and hastily drawn deductions 

 from insufficient data. But even the philosopher himself does 

 not always escape from the imputation ; for the farmers at 

 Hitcham were firmly convinced that the "Piperage" or Barberry 

 itself blighted the wheat. The Professor could not convince 

 them that the red colour of the spots on the leaves of the bush 

 was not due to the same fungus as that on the wheat. Indeed, 

 he observes (in a MS.): " It is not likely (as some suppose) 

 that it is due to the influence of ^cidium berberidisP We 

 now know that the farmers were nearer the truth and the 

 botanists were wrong. But one point the Professor established 

 and I possess his dried specimens to this day and that was, 

 that the " mildew," a black fungus, subsequently arises from the 

 same substratum or mycelium as the rust. The mildew, then, 



