November 28, 19 12] 



NATURE 



S7; 



a spring phytoplankton and a summer zooplankton 

 gathering.) Prof. Benjamin Moore has recently 

 loiind ' a noteworthy change in the chemical reaction 

 of the sea water round our coasts at different seasons 

 of the year, no doubt in co-relation with the develop- 

 ment of the plankton organisms. In spring (April) the 

 water, not only on the shore, but out at sea, is acid to 

 phenolphthalein, while in summer (August) it is dis- 

 tinctly alkaline to the same indicator. This change 

 signifies an enormous conversion of carbon in the in- 

 organic into carbon in organic form, a turn-over of 

 colossal extent amounting to between 20,000 and 30,000 

 tons of carbon per cubic mile of sea water, or, if we think 

 of the carbon as being in the bodies of living organisms, 

 then the weight of these organisms will amount to 

 about ten times that quantity of carbon in the cubic 

 mile — or, if we imagine it occupying the deepest part 

 of the Irish Channel, say, 300,000 tons of organisms 

 per strip of water ten miles long by one mile broad 

 and eighty-eight fathoms deep, all supplied with their 

 necessary carbon from the carbon dioxide present in 

 the sea water in spring. 



Thus we can be led on from the simple observation 

 of minute organisms on the beach to some of the 

 greatest problems in the metabolism of the ocean ; 

 but the naturalist investigator need not necessarilv 

 venture out to sea in his quest. There is plentv of 

 useful work to be done on the beach in carefully 

 examining with the microscope the various deposits, 

 such as sand and mud, found between tide marks, 

 not once for all, but periodically, so as to determine 

 the nature, of the minute animals and plants, their 

 relative abundance, and their variations, seasonal or 

 otherwise, in quantity and character throughout the 

 year. We know that some of these organisms, 

 although individually insignificant, may exist in such 

 quantities as to discolour the sands or the sea water, 

 and even give rise to plagues amongst shellfish and 

 other more directiv valuable animals. Invasions of 

 this kind, due to Dinoflagellata closely allied to our 

 Amphidinium, are known to have appeared in America 

 and in Australia, and possibly elsewhere. It is work 

 worthv of the best endeavours of some of the vounger 

 botanists and zoologists of the Linnean Society, who 

 have ready access to the coast, to try to extend our 

 knowledge of the range and life conditions of some 

 of those remarkable organisms — organisms which not 

 only present scientific problems to the field naturalist, 

 the cytologist, the experimental biologist, and bio- 

 chemist, but, moreover, may well, from their vast 

 numbers and sudden chances, have a profound effect 

 upon the metabolism of the ocean, and so upon the 

 prosperity of sea-fi.sheries. 



Jl 



THE UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL IN 



RELATION TO AGRICULTURE. 

 'HE University of Bristol, the youngest of our 

 universities, has made it evident that it intends 

 to play an acti\-e part in the development of agricul- 

 tural education and research. Some two years ago 

 the University associated with itself the Royal Agri- 

 cultural College, Cirencester, for purposes of higher 

 education in agriculture, and arrangements for the 

 granting of degrees in that subject are now being 

 completed. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has recently 

 notified its intention of making an annual grant of 

 500Z. to the college to enable it to provide for research 

 on questions relating to forestry for the west of 

 England area. 



■* _ir. the course of a Percy-SIaden Trust research upon the nutrition of 

 maiine animals, the detailed results of which will be published at an early 



NO. 2248, VOL. 90] 



The University has also recently associated with 

 itself the National Fruit and Cider Institute, which 

 was established at Long Ashton, near Bristol, in 1903, 

 to carry on investigations on fruit culture and cider- 

 making. This institution has been supported since its 

 establishment by annual grants from the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries, the county councils of 

 Devon, Gloucester, Hereford, Monmouth, Somer- 

 set, and Worcester, and the Bath and West of 

 England Agricultural Society. Its association with 

 the University is the result of an offer on the part 

 of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to the latter 

 of an annual grant approximating to 2500L to pro- 

 vide for the establishment of one of the agricultural 

 research institutions contemplated by the Board in 

 connection with the grant from the Development Fund 

 available for the promotion of agricultural research. 



The special subject of research allotted to Bristol 

 is that of fruit-growing, including the practical treat- 

 ment of plant diseases. The offer of the Board was 

 conditional on the National Fruit and Cider Institute 

 being made the centre at which the work was to be 

 carried on. In connection with the scheme a capital 

 expenditure of lo.oooL has been estimated to be neces- 

 sary. Of this sum the Development Commissioners 

 intimated their willingness to provide 50 per cent., 

 provided that the remaining half was raised locally. 

 Largely owing to the efforts of the Rt. Hon. Henry 

 Hobhouse, chairman of the Somerset County Council, 

 the necessary money has been subscribed. The ex- 

 penditure is required for the purchase of land and 

 the erection and equipment of laboratories and other 

 buildings at Long Ashton. A department of agricul- 

 tural and horticultural research has thus been created, 

 Mr. B. T. P. Barker, director of the National Fruit 

 and Cider Institute, being appointed head of the 

 department and professor of agricultural biology in 

 the University. Towards the upkeep of the depart- 

 ment the University is contributing an annual sum of 

 300L, the income of a gift from the late Lord Winter- 

 stoke for the purpose of agricultural research; and 

 the income from other sources, including county 

 council grants, is about 1500L 



The department of chemistry in the University is 

 also taking part in the work. In the biochemical 

 laboratory, investigations on the tannins of cider are 

 proceeding in connection with the fruit research work. 

 A special grant from the Development Fund_ for the 

 continuation of investigations on the chemistry of 

 Cheddar cheese, which have been carried out during 

 the past two years by Dr. Nierenstein, has been 

 promised. This work \vas begun in the first place at 

 the request of the Somerset County Council, a grant 

 for the purpose being given by that body. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries also pro- 

 poses to make the \^niversity the centre for a group 

 of the western counties in connection with its scheme 

 for the provision of technical advice to farmers. The 

 group will probably include Gloucester, Hereford, 

 Somerset, Wiltshire,' and Worcester, and possibly one 

 or two other adjoining counties for special purposes. 

 .'Xn annual sum of loooL is provided by the Board 

 for this work. Under this scheme investigations on 

 problems of local agricultural importance will be 

 undertaken. In this connection reference may be 

 made to the work on the " teart " or scouring land 

 of Somerset, which has already been conducted by 

 Mr. C. T. Gimingham for the past two years. 



The following appointments to the staff of the 

 Department of" Agricultural and Horticultural Re- 

 search have already been made : — Mr. A. H. Lees 

 as plant pathologist, Mr. C. T. Gimingham as agri- 

 cultural chemist, and Mr. Otto Grove, for some time 

 assistant to Dr. .Mf. Jorgonsen, of Copenhagen, as 



