(iKiitnr's €Mt. 



Wk ^70uld call particular attention to the in- 

 teresting and valuable communicalion by J. B. 

 La WES, Esq., on the fattening qualities of various 

 breeds ©f sheep. As many of our readers are 

 aware, Mr. Lawes is an English land owner, 

 possessing a fine estate in Hertfordshire, some 

 three hundred acres of which he devotes to ex- 

 perimental purposes. For the last ten years, 

 assisted by Dr. J. H. Gilbert, and other able 

 chemists, he has been systematically experiment- 

 ing on most of the important problems connected 

 with agricultural chemistry, at an expense of 

 some fifteen thousand dollars per annum. 



The results obtained have already greatly ex- 

 tended the boundary of our inductive knowledge 

 respecting the rationale of the rotation of crops, 

 fattening animals, the effect of climate, artificial 

 manures, the fall of rain, &c., ou the production 

 of grain and root crops, as also their effect on 

 the elaboration, maturity, composition of plants, 



Tlie care, skill, and minute accuracy with 

 which these experiments are executed, Ave have 

 had personal opportunity of witnessing. Every 

 thing these gentlemen publish may be relied upon 

 with the greatest confidence. None of the re- 

 sults which form the basis of new views, or which 

 militate against established theory, are depended 

 on till they have been tested in many various 

 ways with a like result. For instance : we re- 

 collect when Dr. Gilbert was determining the 

 percentage of nitrogen in many samples of wheat 

 grown under different manurial treatment, he 

 found one sample that had been manured by su- 

 perphosphate of lime t<^ contain three per cent, 

 of nitrogen in dry matter, or about double that 

 manured with ammoniacal salts. In all cases 

 duplicate analysis were made, which agreed with- 

 in a tenth of one per cent But in this case Dr. 

 G. could not satisfy himself of the correctness of 

 the result short of Jive several analyses, all of 

 whicli agreed. Dr. Gilbert's doubts ^re worthy 

 of more confidence than many men's certainties. 



Mr. Lawks has an immense accumulation of 

 experimental results not yet publislit^l. His in- 

 vestigations expand so mucli, as he ])roceecls, that 

 he can not keep pace with them, and he has 

 therefore but little time for writing. 



Our limited space compelled us to leave out a 

 valuable portion of Mr. Lawes article, referring 

 principally to the relative economy of purchasing 



artificial manures, or fatting cattle and sheep with 

 oilcake and other purchased food. We will give 

 Mr. L's views on this subject in a future number* 



National TJnia'ersities. — Dr. T. Romeyn BEOf, 

 long distinguished for his learning and scientific 

 attainments, has given to the public some valua- 

 ble suggestions on the importance of founding 

 Univemtics of a higher order than any of the 

 existing colleges in the United States, for the 

 more perfect education of studious men, rather 

 than for the instruction of youth. The foifr years 

 spent by the latter in colleges only prepares them 

 to become in the future, scholars, and mastera of 

 arts and science, for the pursuit of which our 

 present institutions do not furnish them any ade- 

 quate facilities. Our medical and law schools are 

 mere specialities, and quite limited in their 

 .studies and objects. Institutions of a much 

 broader basis, embracing every department of 

 the natural sciences, and their application to all 

 the industrial arts of society, are greatly needed. 

 Dr. Beck enumerates many professorships that 

 ought to be established ih an American Univer- 

 sity ; and being himself the author of a work on 

 Medical Jurisprudence, which had the honor of 

 being adopted as a text book at some of the best 

 European Universities, his remarks on this topic 

 have peculiar force : 



" We require the appointment, under public authority, of 

 a Professor of Medical JaiHsprudencs or Forensic. Medi- 

 cine. It 19 not possible to do full justice to this subject in 

 Medical Colleges. We teach there, what is known. "We 

 want a person or persons who shall ascestain, if possible, 

 the unknown. And great r.s have been the discoveri(>s of 

 late years, in this science, still the cunning of the murderer 

 has frequently outrun them. AVliy should not men duly 

 qualified, be appointed to such an oflice, who by their re- 

 searches would be far in advance of those who by s'ecret, 

 and in some cases almost unknown means, prevent detec- 

 tion in the commission of crime. There is a person now 

 living* — tlie certainty of whose knowledge on the power of 

 poisons is such, that he is not only callcit to examine cases 

 in every part of Franco, but not long since was summoned 

 to Belgium, in one which, at the time, atlracteil tlio atten- 

 tion of all Europe. I hold that there should be two or 

 three persons of this character ap|>ointed and paid by the 

 government to perform this important duty. 



"It is impossible for our public institutions to support 

 professorships in these various and accumulating sciences 

 and brniiclies of sciences. You require the aid of the gov- 

 ernment, or what is still better, jirivale individuals must 

 come forward, foster and support them. 



"Addressing myself to an audience, partly composed of 

 memiicrs of tlie Legislature, I submit with great deference, 

 that there are certain subjects, which most particularly 

 cl;iim ilieir care and endowment, 



"Fur example, a J'rofes.<ior of Seali.tlics might be ap- 

 ])ointed with great advantage' to the comnnmity. His 

 duties would bo laborious, but how much limo and money 



* Dr. OijriLA. The ne.\t mail from abroad brought th« 

 news of his death. 



M^" 



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