1847.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



393 



One peculiarity pointed out is that the remaining abutment piers 

 ou tlie exterior of the upper wall of the south aisle take their places 

 beyond the lines of those below, and are based on the brick vaulting 

 ■with perfect security. The reason of this is not explained, nor is it 

 obvious. 



Messrs. Buckler have observed that many of the smaller arches in 

 the building are irregularly curved, and indeed distorted. Tliis is 

 not uncommon in Norman buildings of elaborate design and costly 

 material, and is supposed to arise in some cases from the arches being 

 turned over the openings without the help of wooden centrings, or 

 with rough frames. 



In this church the system is fully seen which was adopted by the 

 Norman architects of building walls across all the openings, so as to 

 tie the whole of the work together for greater security. The extent 

 of this underground work as discovered by Messrs. Buckler within 

 the eastern aisle is said to be truly astonishing. The system was 

 sometimes imitated by the architects who made additions to the 

 building. 



Of the columns of the nave it is remarked that there is far less 

 bulk and appearance of casing than in those of Winchester cathedral, 

 as greater dependence could be placed upon the strength of the brick- 

 work core, than upon that of rubble-work. 



The west front was 155 feet in its extreme breadth, beiug flanked 

 by two lofty towers, measuring 40 feet in the square on the outside, 

 and being planted on massive stone and brick foundations. 



With an opinion of the authors, in reference to another subject, we 

 cannot but concur. They observe that in Herefordshire, the greater 

 number of church towers are characterised by slender spires, con- 

 structed of timber and covered with lead. They regret that these 

 should ever be removed, as they so often are for the value of the lead. 

 Though the spires may be less ancient than the towers, their age is 

 still great, and their destruction cannot but be considered an act of 

 barbarism. 



In conclusion, we cordially recommend this work to the libraries of 

 our readers, to whom its moderate size and price offer an additional 

 inducement. 



An Easy Introduction to Railway Mensuration. By E. V. Gard- 

 ner, C.E. London: Weale, 1817. 



The idi^a of this book is a good one, and, once conceived, it was 

 easy for Mr. Gardner to carry it out ; while as a special work, it is 

 likely to pay well. It consists chiefly of working plins and forms from 

 the Brighton Railway, the South Western, the Farnham and Alton, 

 Syston and Peterborough, and Salisbury Branch Extension Railways. 

 The book is therefore practical enough, and, by having a number of 

 ruled pages, can be studied and worked up at the same time. 



Among the illustrations are a specification, small barrel culverts, 

 large culverts with wing walls, open culverts, bridge, occupation road, 

 occupation bridge, skew bridge, viaduct, timber viaduct, another with 

 iron tension-rods, &c. There are likewise plans and sections vvi th 

 curves set out, off-sets for unsoiling, outside fencing, and ditches, &e. 

 Mr. Gardner says enough about tunneUing to enable the student to 

 understand the mode of mensuration, and how to set off the ranging 

 line from above to below. Full directions are given as to the meas ure- 

 ment of cuttings and embankments. 



Mr. Gardner recommends that the number of parts measured should 

 always be placed first, to prevent error of quantity, such as occurred a 

 few years since in the erection of a new church a few miles from 

 Loudon, where the gallery was measured and not twiced, thus leaving 

 one gallery wholly out of the quantities, which could hardly have hap- 

 peded had the No. 2 been placed first. In all cases, even in cubing 

 the dimensions given for practice, Mr. Gardner urges that every 

 dimension should be checked, to prevent error ; and before beginnin g 

 to measure, to well study and understand the plan. 



We think the work will be found useful by the parties for whom it 

 is designed. 



Plane and Spherical Trigonometry. Part I, containing rules, 

 examples, and problems. Part U, containing the principal /ormulce, 

 vjith exercises and examples ; the proofs of the rules in logarithms and 

 trigonometry, and the construction of logarithmic tables. By H. W. 

 Jeans, F.R.A.S., Royal Naval College. London : Longmans, 1847. 

 2 vols. pp. 124 each. 12mo. 



The first of these little volumes contains a collection of rules for 

 applying logarithms to geometry, navigation, &c. The second volume 

 gives separately the demonstrations of the rules. This separation 

 may be useful to those who are required to deal rather with results 



than principles — whose occupations render it necessary for thjm to 

 obtain arithmetical results, by processes of which they are unwilling 

 or unable to comprehend the logical accuracy. We do not much 

 admire the learning-made-easy system ; it misses all the advantages 

 of mental discipline, and fosters mere superficial attainments. The 

 knowledge-doctors are the professed apologists and coadjutors of 

 shallow-headed students; — their very trade is to coat ignorance with 

 a varnish. However, there are ct'rtain cases in which it is absolutely 

 necessary to set people in the way of working problems without 

 understanding the principles of them; for instance, it would appear, 

 from the work before us, that this necessity exists at the Royal Naval 

 College. 



The rules are concisely and clearly expressed, and are accompanied 

 by numerous examples fully worked out. 



Elements of Geometry. By J. D. London : Longmans, 1847. 



What the object of this pamphlet may be we cannot make out. The 

 author introduces new and complex processes, without any preface ; 

 and he gives new definitions, which are no more definite than the old 

 ones, and much less philosophical. 



GEOLOGICAL LECTURES, 



By Professor Ansted. Delivered at King's College, London — Session, 1847. 



Geological Considerations affecting Agriculture, 



After some prefatory observations. Professor Ansted proceeded to ex- 

 plain the points in which the practice of agriculture was affected by geologi- 

 cal considerations and knowledge. They were two in number — first, that 

 which related to materials, taking one of the divisions of the subject mentioned 

 in the preceding lectures : under this head they would have to consider the 

 nature, use, and way of modifying those materials. Secondly, considering 

 the earth as the basis of operations, they would have to observe how 

 agriculture was affected by the arrangement of materials ; and how, by 

 certain laws, affecting the structure of the earth, the soil might be rendered 

 more fertile, by supplying water where needed, or by removing it by drain- 

 age when the land was flooded. Certain mineral substances were necessary 

 for the growth of plants ; and hence, if they took any of the vegetable sub- 

 stances in common use by man, and exposed them to a high degree of heat — 

 thus getting rid of the carbon, o-vygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and some other 

 elements of the plant — there always remained a residuum of ashes, which 

 contained the mineral substances necessary in the growth of the plant con- 

 sumed. If, for instance, they took any of the cereals, such as wheat, and 

 burnt its straw, ear, and corn, they would find in the ashes which were left 

 a considerable portion of silica; and in other plants there would be certain 

 quantities of potash, soda, lime, and magnesia, not unfrequently a little iron, 

 and sometimes, but not often, phosphorus. All these, then, were materials 

 necessary for the growth of plants, and it was useful to know whether any 

 particular spot where these plants were intended to grow, possessed the ma- 

 terials necessary for their health and sustenance. A knowledge of the 

 " chemical composition" of soils was, therefore, highly important, as some of 

 the above substances, occurring in certain proportions of the soil, might be 

 noxious, and even poisonous, to some plants ; while to others they might be 

 indispensable. There was, in fact, no universal poison. It was also neces- 

 sary to know sometliing of the " condition" in which these constituents were 

 present in the soil. Supposing, for instance, there were potash, soda, and 

 phosphorus, it was well to know whether these materials possessed a greater 

 affinity for the substances with which they were already combined than the 

 plant was able to overcome, as, in that case, they would not benefit it ; or, 

 if those materials or constituents were free, whether they were so much 

 separated as to render them not only useless, but noxious and mischievous. 

 It was also exceedingly useful to know the " mechanical condition" of the 

 soil. Plants throw out roots and rootlets, not only to imbibe nourishment 

 from the soil, but to form a wide-spread basis to support the upward growth 

 of the stems, and to enable them to expose themselves to the weather, or to 

 connect themselves with other plants, according to their peculiar habits. In 

 all cases, it would be useful so know whether the surface of the soil was 

 bkely to afford this mechanical support. 



In considering the nature of the soil, with reference to plants, it was ne- 

 cessary to do so partly in respect to its composition, and partly as to its de- 

 rivation. They had nothing to do, as geologists, with the organic substance 

 contained in the soil, which consisted chiefly of carbon in the state called 

 humus — that belonged to the agricultural chemist, rather than to the geolo- 

 gist ; but it was necessary that the latter should know what were the mineral 

 ingredients of which the soil was made up, and how far they were capable 

 of adapting themselves to its organic portions. They had nothing to do 

 with the organic portion of the soil itself, but they had a great deal to do 

 with its relations to the inorganic, or earthy, constituents. The three prin- 

 cipal ingredients of all soils were silica, alumina, and lime, which mostly 

 existed in the three conditions of sands, clays, and limestones. There were 



51 



