296 



NATURE 



[May 6, i<>69 



lectures for ujog, on the Jiistory and economics of agri- 

 culture, on May 10 and 11, at 5 p.m., in the University 

 Chemical Laboratory, Pembroke Street. The lectures will 

 deal largely -with thC' sources of the cereal supply and with 

 the. agricultural history and economic position of the 

 Russian Empire ; of- British India and its varying wheat 

 exports; with the developing areas of the Argentine Re- 

 public, both as regards wheat and meat export; and will 

 conclude with -an examination of the resources and export- 

 ing prospects of the possessions of the British Crown in 

 Australasia and in the Dominion of Canada. 



London. — Offices have now been definitely assigned to 

 the Royal Commission on University Education in London, 

 and air communications in reference thereto should in 

 future be ■ addr-essed to the joint secretaries, 12 Queen 

 Anne's Gate, S.W. 



A course of eight lectures on the " Structure and Func- 

 tions of the Central Nervous System " will be given in the 

 Physiological Institute (LIniversity College) by Dr. W.. 

 Page May on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., beginning on Tuesday, 

 May II. The lectures are open to all students of the 

 University, also to qualified medical men on presentation 

 of their cards. 



Oxford. — Much interest has been aroused by the publi- 

 cation- of the Chancellor's letter on " Principles and 

 Methods of University Reform." All parties seem agreed 

 in appreciation of the fulness and lucidity of the memor- 

 andum, and of the statesmanlike qualities shown by its 

 author. Many of Lord Curzon's proposals will be accepted 

 in .riiost quarters as practicable and salutary; as to others, 

 opinions will differ. It is too soon as yet to attempt any 

 detailed criticism of the proposed new measures, but it 

 is. satisfactory to see that Lord Curzon fully recognises 

 the obligation that rests on the University to take its part 

 in extending the boundaries of science. " O.xford," he 

 ■sa3"s, ." should train its scholars, not merely to acquire 

 knowledge, but to increase it." The efforts of the Uni- 

 versity should be directed towards attracting, by encourage- 

 ment and rewards, men who are capable of advanced and 

 original work. Various means are suggested by which 

 this might be done more effectually than at present, among 

 the most important being the establishment of a system 

 of coordination between the university and the colleges, 

 having for its object the adoption of a general policy of 

 research. 



The April number of the Journal of the Association of 

 Teachers in Technical Institutions contains the programme 

 of the Whitsuntide meeting of the association, to be held 

 in Liverpool from May 2q to June 2. The arrangements 

 include a visit to the R.M.S. Mauretania, and one to 

 Eaton Hall. In addition to the accounts given of matters 

 more particularly interesting to members of the society, 

 there are, useful short articles on methods of teaching in 

 technical classes. Under the title " The .'\rtisan's Claim 

 to Technical Education," Mr. W. T. Emerv advocates 

 the establishment of trade schools in all our towns, 

 believinig that they would be efficient substitutes' for the 

 dying apprenticeship system. In time they would become 

 much more, and he hoped for legislation to " limit 

 employment under eighteen years of age to .thirty hours a 

 week, with thirty hours' technical instruction " (cf. 

 Minority Report of the Poor Law Commission). ■ 



The recently issued administrative report of the Missouri 

 Botanical Garden, and an announcement of Washington 

 University concerning the Henry Shaw School of Botany, 

 indicate that the Shaw foundation is on the eve of enter- 

 ing on a much increased activity. Although Henry Shaw 

 in 1885 endowed a school of botany in Washington Uni- 

 versity, to the head of which Prof. Trelease was called 

 from the LTniversity of Wisconsin, the provision made was 

 practically for only a chair of botany. Four years later, 

 on the death of Mr. Shaw, his fortune, appraised at several 

 million dollars, passed to the care of trustees for the 

 maintenance of his long-established and well-known 

 garden,. and for the further development of an institution of 

 research and instruction in botany and allied sciences, the 

 head of the school of botany being selected as its director. 

 It is now announced that a definite step toward the 



NO. 2062, VOL. 80] 



development contemplated -by the founder -and planned'-by 

 the director has been taken in -the establishment -of '.the 

 post -of plant physiologist at the garden, -and the creation 

 of a professorship of plant-physiology and applied botany 

 in the Shaw School of Botany; with provision for two 're- 

 search fellowships in botany. -, Dr. George T.- Moore'has - 

 been appointed to the ne\v .professorship. ' 



Our esteemed contemporary, ' Engineering, in a lead- 

 ing article of April 23 dealing with " Engineering and 

 Mathematics," takes e-xception to our recent remarks upon 

 the advantage of theoretical training to the artisan. The 

 writer of this article says that every foreman and works 

 manager will asseverate with no little emphasis the 

 opinion that the best handicraftsmen amongst his appren- 

 tices are not generally to be found amongst those most 

 constant in their attendance at technical classes. We agree 

 that this, unfortunately, is too often the case, but cahncjt 

 accept the writer's explanation that this is generally owing 

 to lack of interest in theoretical principles on the part of 

 apprentices. .'\ny teacher who has had extended experi- 

 ence of evening classes will easily give the correct explana- 

 tion by referring to the huge annual bundle of leasons 

 for absence — almost invariably overtime on the part of 

 his best students. Overtime costs money in wages at a 

 higher rate,, and inferior apprentices are not wanted for 

 overtime; consequently the best are selected by the fore- 

 man or manager, who, being too often himself without 

 theoretical training, has little sympathy for, his appren- 

 tices' progress in this direction. We suggest that our 

 contemporary should refer to those cases in which, 'the 

 works' authorities give full facilities, without compulsion, 

 for attendance at classes, when the opinion expressed will 

 be probably modified. 



We have received the first volume of the report of 

 the United States Commissioner of Education, dealing 

 with the year ended June 30, - 1908. The greater part-cjf 

 the work (nearly 400 - pages) is occupied by statistics, 

 accompanied by running commentary. Recent progress is 

 reviewed, not only in, the United States, Porto Rico, and 

 the Philippines, but also in the United Kingdom, in 

 Europe, and in Spanish-American countries. We learn 

 that the Bureau of Education has re-organised its library 

 so as to render this collection of 150,000 educational publi- 

 cations available for direct service to the institutions of 

 the country. From the commissioner's introduction we 

 gather that the marked features of the year were the 

 -State Educational Commissions now working in ten States, 

 the rigour of voluntary organisations, and the general 

 effort to " standardise " American education. This is 

 described as " the pure-food movement in our spiritu.-il 

 world, necessary, to the soundness of our educntion.il 

 freedom and experimentation." International congresses 

 were remarkably numerous last year, and the commissioner 

 regards as the inain movement in England, France, and 

 Germany the gradual integration of the educational system. 

 As specially characteristic of British cities, he notes the 

 completeness with which the entire child population .is 

 brought under control, and the provision made for pro- 

 moting the physical well-being of the children. ' He notes 

 the growing agencies for assisting children" in ' theTr 

 search for work when their school life is ended. He con- 

 siders London to be far inferior to New York in the extent 

 cf its puhlic provision for education beyond the elementary 

 stage. Whereas in the States the disposition is to open 

 higher education freely to all children, the effort in England 

 is to discover and encourage special ability. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 



Royal Society, December 10, 1908. — "Electrolytes and 

 Colloids. The Physical State of Gluten." By Prof. T. B. 

 Wood and W. B. Hardy, F.R.S. 



Gluten is the chief protein of wheat flour. In presence 

 of water and salts it forms a tenacious, stringy substance, 

 which confers upon dough its characteristic physical 

 properties. Like other colloids, the physical state of 

 gluten is determined bv the electrolytes which are pre- 

 sent. If the salts be washed away with ordinary distilled 



