BIOGKAPHKWl. INTKM )l)r(Tl( )N wv 



Mr Lawes purchased the tartaric and citric acid lactnrv at 

 jNIillwall. The purchase was unwillinudy uuulv, lait the new 

 work w^as taken up with his accustomed eneri,^ and enterprise, 

 many economies and improvements were intnxhiced. and the 

 factory became the most important of its kind in this eoinitrv. 

 In 1872 he sokl the whole of his manure luisiness for £:)()(l,(i()() ; 

 he retained the tartaric and citric acid factory till liis death. 

 Mr Lawes had also a large sugar estate in Queensland : the 

 low^ price of sugar and the lack of cheap labour prevente(l, in 

 this instance, a commercial success. 



The investigations at Rothamsted made rapid progress. In 

 1843 were commenced the systematic field experiments on 

 turnips and wheat ; the wheat field has grown wheat witliout 

 intermission ever since. In 1847 the field experiments on 

 beans commenced, and in 1848 those on clover, and on a four- 

 course rotation. In 1851 the rotations of wheat and fallow 

 and w^heat and beans were started. In 1852 the field experi- 

 ments on barley commenced. In 1856 those on f^rass land. 

 In all about 40 acres were l)rought under experiment. Of all 

 these crops complete chemical statistics were (»btained. 

 Experiments on sheep-feeding w^ith various foods conunenced 

 in 1848. The whole bodies of ten animals — oxen, slieej). aii<l 

 pigs — of various ages and conditions as to fatness, were analysed 

 between 1848 and 1850. In 1850 an extensive series of pig- 

 feeding experiments was made. 



The extent of the work undertaken, its thoroughnes.s, and 

 the practical value of the results obtained, gained the a(hnira- 

 tion of both scientific and practical men. At a meeting of 

 Hertfordshire farmers at 8t Albans, on J3eceml)cr 24, ]xy.]. it 

 was resolved to present Mr Lawes with a testinionial. The 

 circular issued states : " It was considered that .Mr Lawes lias 

 for many years been engaged in a series of scientifii- and 

 disinterested investigations for the improvement of agriculture 

 generally, which have been carried out to an e.xtciit. wiili a!i 

 attention to accuracy and <letail, and at a cost, never before 

 undertaken by any individual, or even by any public institu- 



