xxxiv BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION 



the work done was largely due to the unremitted labours of Dr 

 Gilbert. At the opening of the new laboratory in 1855, Mr 

 Lawes said, "I should be most ungrateful were I to omit this 

 opportunity of stating how greatly I am indebted to those 

 gentlemen whose lives are devoted to the conduct and manage- 

 ment of my experiments. To Dr Gilbert more especially, I 

 consider a debt of gratitude is due from myself and from every 

 agriculturist in Great Britain. It is not every gentleman of 

 his attainments who would subject himself to the caprice of an 

 individual, or risk his reputation by following the pursuits of a 

 science which has hardly a recognised existence. For twelve 

 years our acquaintance has existed, and I hope twelve years 

 more will find it continuing." The testimony borne by Sir John 

 Lawes to his colleague at the end of fifty years of their joint 

 work has been already quoted in the preceding account of Sir 

 John Lawes. 



We must now attempt to give some idea of the special part 

 taken by Sir Henry Gilbert in the Rothamsted investigations. 

 The two leaders of the work were in almost daily consultation, 

 Sir H. Gilbert spending, as a rule, an hour at Rothamsted 

 every day that Sir John Lawes was at home. The plans for 

 new experiments, the results obtained from day to day, and 

 the drafts of the reports in preparation, were thus all discussed 

 by them together. Sir John Lawes directed the agricultural 

 operations in the experimental fields ; the execution of the 

 remainder of the work was in the hands of Sir Henry Gilbert. 

 Sir John Lawes contributed to the joint work a thorough 

 knowledge of practical agriculture. His original mind was 

 stored with facts learnt by keen observation and study in the 

 field. A born investigator, he seemed to be continually 

 occupied in the study of agricultural problems. His enterpris- 

 ing and practical spirit impressed its character on the whole of 

 the Rothamsted work. Sir Henry Gilbert supplemented in a 

 remarkable manner the qualities of his chief. His training as 

 an analytical chemist, and his acquaintance with foreign 

 languages and literature, were naturally of great value in 



