viii PREFACE 



physical chemistry is well known, was driven to seek health in 

 a partial existence in the country. Not having the means, 

 however, to procure this in the orthodox manner without aban- 

 doning his scientific work, he resorted to the somewhat unusual 

 means of getting air and exercise by becoming an agricultural 

 labourer at Rothamsted. From an agricultural labourer to a 

 small farmer and landowner the steps were not so tedious as is 

 generally the case, and for some few years past Mr. Pickering has 

 turned his attention, after the manner of many landowners, to 

 horticulture and practical fructiculture. To any one of a scien- 

 tific turn of mind the unsatisfactory basis on which the culture 

 of fruit depends cannot fail to be apparent. Its present con- 

 dition is little better than that of agriculture some fifty years 

 ago. It rests mainly on the hard-earned and often one-sided 

 experience of practical men, gardeners, for the most part, or 

 nurserymen. 



" But the pressure of business will rarely allow a nurseryman 

 to indulge in anything approaching to systematic research, and 

 even when he does obtain any important results, they are 

 liable to be looked on askance, as being possibly tinctured 

 by mercenary considerations. Moreover, even amongst the 

 highest practical authorities there is hardly a single point in 

 the cultivation of fruit on which unanimity of opinion pre- 

 vails; indeed, on some of even the most elementary processes 

 there seem to be as many opinions as there are so-called 

 authorities. 



" The desirability of having some station where such matters 

 might be patiently investigated, and from which results might 

 issue free from any taint of commercial expediency, was evident 

 to Mr. Pickering, and not having himself the capital or land 

 necessary for such an undertaking, he applied for assistance to 

 a former college friend, the Duke of Bedford. The Dukes of 

 Bedford have during generations past identified themselves with 

 the progress of agriculture and horticulture, 1 the present holder 

 of the title showing no tendency to be eclipsed by his predecessors 

 in these matters. As was probable, such a scheme met with 

 the hearty approval of the Duke, and the result was the estab- 

 lishment of the present institution, conducted jointly by himself 

 and Mr. Pickering. 



1 It may be of some interest to note that the great-granduncle and 

 great-grandfather of the present Duke of Bedford and of Mr. Pickering, 

 respectively, namely, Francis, Fifth Duke, and Coke of Norfolk, afterwards 

 Lord Leicester, were intimately associated, one century ago, in their 

 endeavours to benefit English Agriculture. 



