BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION xxxvii 



Chemical Society in 1841, a few weeks after its formation, 

 became a member of the Council in 1856, and a Vice-President 

 in 1868. In 1882 he was elected President of the Society. 

 Sir Henry Gilbert delivered four lectures before the Society, 

 and was the part author of several other papers. In 1898 a 

 memorable dinner was given by the Society to six Past- 

 Presidents, all of whom had been members of the Society for 

 more than fifty years : of these Past-Presidents Gilbert was the 

 eldest. The President concluded his address to him by saying : 

 " The Rothamsted results will be for ever memorable : they are 

 unique, and characteristic of the indomitable perseverance and 

 energy of our venerated President, Sir Henry Gilbert." 



Of the Linnean aud Meteorological Societies Sir Henry 

 Gilbert was also a Fellow, and occasionally read papers at 

 their meetings. He was also a member of the Society of Arts. 

 He became a member of the Scientific Committee of the 

 Horticultural Society in 1868, and for many years regularly 

 attended its meetings. 



In his summer holidays the meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science was generally attended ; 

 his attendance commenced in 1842, and during many years he 

 scarcely missed a meeting, and frequently read a paper 

 describing some of the Rothamsted results. In 1880 he was 

 President of the Chemical Section, and gave as his address, 

 "A Sketch of the Progress of Agricultural Chemistry." A 

 tour on the Continent generally formed part of the summer 

 holiday ; agricultural laboratories and experimental stations 

 were then visited, and the Naturforscher Versammlung, and 

 other scientific gatherings, were often attended and papers 

 read before them. In 1871, and the following year, the 

 details of sugar-beet culture were studied in Germany, Austria, 

 and France, preparatory to the commencement of experiments 

 on this subject at Rothamsted. 



Three visits were paid to the United States and Canada. 

 In 1882 he attended the meeting of the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, at Montreal, and brought 



