X ON THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY 281 



to take a rational interest in the discussion of such 

 problems, and to see, what I think they may hope to 

 see, that, to those who possess a sufficient elemen- 

 tary knowledge of Biology, they are not all quite 

 open questions. 



Let me mention another important practical 

 illustration of the value of biological study. Within 

 the last forty years the theory of agriculture has 

 been revolutionised. The researches of Liebig, 

 and those of our own Lawes and Gilbert, have 

 had a bearing upon that branch of industry the 

 importance of which cannot be over-estimated ; but 

 the whole of these new views have grown out of 

 the better explanation of certain processes which 

 go on in plants ; and which, of course, form a part 

 of the subject-matter of Biology. 



I might go on multiplying these examples, but 

 I see that the clock won't wait for me, and I 

 must therefore pass to the third question to which 

 I referred : Granted that Biology is something 

 worth studying, what is the best way of studying 

 it ? Here I must point out that, since Biology is 

 a physical science, the method of studying it must 

 needs be analogous to that which is followed in 

 the other physical sciences. It has now long been 

 recognised that, if a man wishes to be a chemist, 

 it is not only necessary that he should read chemi- 

 cal books and attend chemical lectures, but that 

 he should actually perform the fundamental experi- 

 ments in the laboratory for himself, and thus learn 



