May 25, 1871] 
NATURE 
67 

remedy we have in our own hands: either mix for ourselves, or 
buy subject to analysis ; but to properly understand the several 
terms of an analysis, a course of practical instruction in a labora- 
tory is necessary. 
“Tt is indeed surprising that in a country where the practice 
of agriculture is carried to such a high degree of perfection, and 
where it is one of the chief sources of wealth, and is besides the 
means of employing such an immense amount of labour and 
capital, so little should be done towards the scientific education 
of those engaged in its pursuit. Asa rule, agriculture is prac- 
tised almost exclusively under the guidance of a slowly-earned 
experience, and mere traditional principles and habitual routine, 
without those engaged in it having any appreciation of the 
phenomena and natural laws which govern the growth and pro- 
duction of animal and vegetable food, the first necessaries of man. 
‘The success we have already arrived to in agriculture is, I 
believe, more mechanical than scientific. Drainage, steam cul- 
ture, and a liberal use of capital and labour, are amongst the 
chief causes ; but now that chemistry in its relation to artificial 
manures is taking such a prominent position, it is of the first im- 
portance that the future generation of farmers should have such 
a general knowledge of science as will enable them to correctly 
appreciate the value and properties of the various compounds 
offered by the too numerous chemical manure makers. 
‘«T cannot imagine a more dangerous, unfortunate, and lament- 
able position for any person to be in, whilst in the practice of his 
business, by which he hopes to gain his bread for himself and 
family, than being entirely dependent on the scientific skill and 
integrity of another man; or that his capital, time, labour, care, 
and hopes should be in many cases completely out of his own 
control. Such a state of things cannot—must not—last. 
“What I propose to do to correct this state of things is this— 
at a very moderate cost to give to an agricultural pupil a six or 
twelve months’ course of scientific education and practical 
laboratory teaching after he has left his regular school ; and I 
will engage that any boy of average ability, at the expiration of 
this time, shall have such a knowledge of all the materials em- 
ployed in the compounding of chemical manures as will enable 
him to dictate what should be used without the interested inter- 
ference of the manure maker. He shall besides have such an 
insight into the science and laws of chemistry as to make the 
reading and future study of scientific agriculture not only perfectly 
easy, but a delightful and intellectual employment. 
“To carry out this important object three conditions are 
necessary—a good qualified teacher, a laboratory, and pupils. 
The first could be had for a very moderate salary ; the laboratory, 
with the necessary instruments and materials, would involve no 
serious outlay ; the third condition, the pupils, gives rise to this 
question—Would farmers send their sons to supplement their 
previous education by a six or twelve months’ practical scientific 
instruction? The want of such knowledge amongst the present 
generation must be so strongly felt that I believe they would be 
too glad to have the opportunity, especially if they knew that 
probably a moderate fee would more than pay the costs. 
“The site of the laboratory might be anywhere—a small 
country village would in many respects offer advantages superior 
toa market town. The cost of erecting or hiring a building 
suitable for a laboratory, together with the instruments and 
materials, should be raised by subscription. The pupils’ fees 
would, I have no doubt, pay all other charges, so that when 
once established it would ever after be self-supporting. 
**T am aware that certain schools exist where agricultural 
science is professedly taught, but Iconsider sucha combination as 
almost waste time, the two kinds of teaching cannot be well 
carried on together, and what is most important, the mind must 
arrive to a certain maturity before it can grasp with sufficient 
reasoning power the beautiful and wonderful phenomena arising 
out of laboratory practice. 
“* Tf the foregoing observations should be thought worthy of the 
serious consideration of persons interested in agriculture, I shall 
indeed be glad to receive any communications or suggestions in 
promotion of the object of this letter ; and if our members will 
support this object by the subscription of a sum equal to only a 
tenth of one year’s savings effected through the agency of our 
association, I will devote myself most earnestly to establish a 
school laboratory in this village that I trust may serve as a model 
and example to be followed by many other localities in Great 
Britain. 
“T shall certainly not ask a single member of our Association to 
do that which I am not prepared to do myself. My consumption 

of phosphate manure—of course, I buy no mixtures or nostrums— 
is about twenty tons a year; and previous to the formation of 
our Association I paid to the most respectable makers 6/. ros. 
per ton for manure, containing 25 per cent. of water. The per- 
centage of soluble phosphate was entirely a matter of speculation. 
According to an elaborate report of Anderson and Way, from 
an analysis of 171 samples, the average per-centage of soluble 
phosphate at that time was I5 per cent., and a ton of this manure 
was valued by these chemists at 7/7. 5s. perton, Therefore, ifa 
15 per cent. manure was worth 7/. 5s. a 26 per cent. manure 
would be worth 12/, ros.; but our Association price for the 26 
per cent. manure is now 3/. 18s, per ton in bulk, delivered free 
at any station in Lincolnshire, with a further advantage of a 
watchful system of analysis, free of any cost, to ensure quality 
and dry condition. 
My saving on these calculations would be 8/. 12s. per ton, or a 
total of 172/. on aconsumption of twenty tons yearly. I state 
facts just as they are recorded by the most eminent chemists, and 
every farmer will believe me when I say that a very large pro- 
portion of the manure sold at that time had little or no value 
whatever, consisting as it did of dried mud and road scrapings, 
flavoured with a little gas water just to flatter the olfactory 
nerves of the wise and cautious farmer of that period. A tenth 
of 172/, would be 17¢. 4s. for my contribution, but my require- 
ments are much more modest. Ithink, therefore, I had better 
leave every member of our Association to form his own estimate 
of what he should contribute, suffice it to say that in the first 
instance the only contribution I ask for is a freeand unprejudiced 
opinion as to the necessity and desirability of what I have in 
view, viz., the formation of a laboratory, in which agricultural 
chemistry shall be taught at small cost, in a short time, and ina 
practical way, to pupils who have received an ordinary education. 
“T have only alluded thus far to the material advantage to be 
derived from a brief course of scientific instruction. Allow me, 
in conclusion, to quote the language of one of the best and most 
highly gifted of our chemical philosophers as to its moral in- 
fluence. The late Dr. Faraday says :—‘I do think that the 
study of natural science is so glorious a school that with the laws 
impressed on all created things by the Creator, and the wonderful 
unity and stability of matter, there cannot be a better school for 
the mind.’ Vain and foolish ideas, the fruit of ignorance, cannot 
be uprooted and destroyed by violence, the natural and more 
gentle method must be adopted, what in chemistry is culled the 
law of substitution; the mind must be fertilised by knowledge, 
then truth and useful ideas will take the place of error and 
ignorant conceits. It is the absence of the exercise of the higher 
and intellectual faculties that leads so often to vacuity of the 
human mind, and the consequent indulgence in grosser and more 
material excitements, injurious alike to body and mind. A 
better form of education would eradicate the greatest of all human 
enemies—Ignorance and Intemperance, 
Sa Wiew Fe RIeRs 
“The Hall, Heckington, Lincolnshire ” 
Degrees for Engineering Students at the University 
of London 
IN one of your Notes for May 11 you refer to the failure of a 
motion which I brought before Convocation of the University of 
London at its recent meeting, to the effect that it was desirable 
that Greek should cease to be a compulsory subject at the matri- 
culation examination. Ihave no wish to trouble your readers with 
a discussion of this subject, because it has been already so well 
ventilated in various quarters, and general opinion with regard to it 
has so nearly crystallised into form in other convocations than 
that of the University of London, that I have no doubt that the 
Senate of the University will ere long see the absolute necessity, 
if the University is to be kept ex rapport with the scientific cul- 
ture of the country as it has been hitherto, of adopting the course 
which I have urged, and the expediency of which has been en- 
dorsed by some of the highest educational authorities. The 
rejection of my motion is not the first illustration that Convo- 
cation has given of the highly conservative tendencies of many 
of its members, and of their incapacity to appreciate the liberal 
spirit in which the University was founded ; and I am quite con- 
tent to Jeave the case as it stands, with the remark made by one 
of old under similar cireumstances— 
Victrix causa Diis placuit, sed victa Catoni. 
I shall, however, be glad if you can favour me with a little 
