462 



NA TURE 



[March 16, 1899 



is the energetic action of the Central Institution of the City 

 and Guilds of London, &c. I frankly admit that I am rejoiced 

 to hear it, and will thank God, therefore, though not in German, 

 as is the way of superior people. 



Some information on other points is, however, desirable to 

 explain apparent anomalies. 



For instance, why are we compelled, in Dr. Armstrong's 

 phrase, to " expatriate our most capable students by Royal 

 Commission ? " 



Why are the German laboratories so full of English and 

 .-\merican students that names have to be taken in rotation, and 

 in some cases instructions have had to be issued that preference 

 is to be given to native students, and the number of foreigners 

 limited ? 



Dr. .Vrmstrong tells us that the education in "quite a number 

 of our schools " is " even superior to that given in Germany." 

 This is good news, and should soon attract — or perhaps it 

 already has attracted — many students from Germany. 



But, seriously, can one of ovir .schools be named which, for 

 building equipment and number of staff, is on a level with the 

 best German examples? 



Does Dr. Armstrong really mean lo defend the use to which 

 the education funds have been put by the counties and boroughs ? 

 Does he mean to say that the right persons have been charged 

 with the duty of carrying on technical education ? Does he 

 think that a technical faculty could not be founded, or would 

 have no value ? Does he maintain that the .sums spent — vast in 

 the aggregate — have not been frittered away in teaching frag- 

 mentary science, &c. , to people who do not need it ? 



If he says yes, then, regretting to differ, I must still main- 

 tain that while leaching as a rule has been, and is, too 

 academical, the money would have been better employed had 

 it been handed over to institutions such as his and Prof. 

 Meldola's, for the purpose of founding technical faculties, for 

 the erection of laboratories, and for the provision of more 

 teachers in them, rather than in founding a host of places for 

 teaching smatterings of science to artisans. 



It .seems to me to be a repetition of the errors of fifty years 

 back. The originators of the " institutes " and " polytechnics" 

 of the middle of the century made mistakes in a small way, and 

 we are repealing them on a vast scale. 



My critic says that this is not .so, and that such a view gives 

 an " entirely false impression." 



I can only say that I heartily hope that I am wrong, for since 

 no one has felt the opprobrium of the position more, no one will 

 rejoice more if Dr. .'Vrmstrong's view is right. 



In conclusion, may I add a word on Mr. Pope's letter in your 

 issue of February 23. My withers are unwrung thereby, yet I 

 can sympathise with those manufacturers who did refuse speci- 

 mens. But there is another aspect of the ijuestion, than the 

 easy acquisition of fine objects for the lecture table or laboratory 

 museums for Mr. Pope, and those similarly placed, to consider, 

 viz. the grave responsibility that a teacher incurs when he even 

 seems to advertise the goods of any particular manufacturer. 

 That is why such goods should always be purchased, and thus 

 all obligation avoided. R. J. Frisvveli.. 



March 11. 



In the current number of the IWriJile^ the following advertise- 

 ment appears : — " Eine grosse Anilin farbenfahrik sucht fUr das 

 theoretische Laboralorium gut geschulle Chcmiker. Praxis 

 nicht erforderlich." Is not this a .striking indication of the 

 nature of the material from which the so-called "German 

 technologist " is evolved, and of the methods l)y which Germany 

 has attained so great a success in chemical industry? 



Wii.i.iA.M A. Davis. 



Central Technical College, Exhibition Road, March II. 



Sunspots and Weather. 



I HAVE thought the following may be worth attention. 



Count the number of warm months, and the number of 7v£l 

 months, at Greenwich, in each year, since 1841 (i.e. months 

 above average in either case). Select ihe values in each of the 

 five-year groups having a sunspot maximum year central ; and 

 the same with minimum. 



This gives twenty-five numbers of warm months lo be com- 

 pared with twenty-five numbers of wel moplhs, for sunspot 

 ma.x. groups ; and like numbers for iiiiit. groups. 



NO. 1533, VOL. 59] 



These may be compared by means of dots j using the ordina 

 for warm months, and the abscissa: for wet months. The aver, 

 of warm months is six, that of wet months about five. 



0/ a 3^^6759/0 



Minimum ..unspol groups. 



Cold and dry 5 I Cold and wel 



W-irm and dry i | Warm and wet 



Totals— Cold, 14; warm, 7; wet, 13; dry, 6. 



Some interesting contrasts come out. 



Thus, in the minimum groups, there is only one year b 

 warm and dry (1868) ; in the ma.x. groups, eight. In the latt^ 

 only two years both wet and cold ; in ihe former, si.x. 



AV. 



7V 



lo 



^ 1^ ^ /^ ^ '^ 7 S <^ 16 



If. 



S 



• • • 



• •• 



J L 



I I r I 



wet' 



i4L 



Colli and dry 4 I Cold .mj wel 



\V.irm and dry 8 I Warm and wel 



Totals— Cold, 7 ; warm, 14 ; wci, S ; dry, 13. 



Compare, loo, the total, cold, warm, wet, and dry, as ai 1 

 of diagram. Ai.Ex. B. MacDowai.i 



