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NATURE 



\_yuly 1 6, 1874 



the farmer. Varieties suitable for early and late growth) 

 and for various descriptions of soil and climate, are aimed 

 at, and in many instances produced. The advantage of 

 having a continual supply of itcw varieties appears in 

 some cases to be considerable ; thus in the case of the 

 potato disease it seems generally acknowledged that a re- 

 cently introduced kind resists disease far better than an 

 old sort. Varieties cannot, however, as is well known, be 

 trusted to maintain their character ; fresh seed must con- 

 stantly be employed, and the process of selection must 

 continually be maintained. The trade of the seedsman 

 is thus one of never-ending use and importance. Perhaps 

 one of the most striking recent instances of what may be 

 eftected by cultivation with a definite object is afforded 

 by the case of sugar-beet. Beetroot contains somewhere 

 about 8 per cent, of sugar ; cultivation, however, and 

 suitable manuring have so increased this percentage that 

 sugar-beet now yields 12-14 per cent, of sugar in the 

 average of seasons, and in favourable seasons 17 per cent, 

 is sometimes reached. We need hardly point out that 

 the practical influence of Agricultural Shows is again most 

 useful in bringing under the farmer's notice both the 

 new varieties raised in this country and the new species 

 introduced from time to time abroad. 



The Royal Agricultural Society has lately gone a step 

 beyond the usual limits of the showyard, and has taken 

 advantage of its country meetings to offer prizes for the 

 best-managed farm in the surrounding district. This is 

 undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Hitherto the 

 teaching of the Agricultural Show has been pretty much 

 confined to the subjects of live stock and implements. 

 Certain portions of the farmer's work have been exhaus- 

 tively illustrated ; but farming as a whole has scarcely 

 been dealt with. Might we suggest that the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society should go still further in carrying out 

 its admirable motto, " Practice with Science," and 

 endeavour to make its country meetings yet more effec- 

 tive in diffusing true knowledge. Why should not the 

 Society arrange for two or three public lectures in the 

 show-week, to be given by persons eminent in science or 

 in practical agriculture ? How much valuable teaching 

 might thus be imparted. The Royal Agricultural Society 

 has already exerted itself in the cause of scientific educa- 

 tion for the sons of farmers, and has continued this work 

 in the face of considerable opposition ; let it enlarge its 

 good work still further, and aim at teaching the farmers 

 who are annually gathered at its Agricultural Shows. 



COLONIAL GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS 

 11.— Victoria 

 Geological Survey of Victoria — Report of Progress. By 

 R. 13rough Smyth. (Melbourne, 1874.) 



MR. SMYTH must be a shrewd and clever person. 

 He has one of the most difficult tasks to perform — 

 to persuade or cajole a Colonial Government or Assembly 

 which knows nothing and cares still less about anything 

 scientific, to vote money for a scientific object and to take 

 some interest in having that object carried out. Not 

 many years ago Victoria had a regular Geological Survey, 

 equipped at the colony's expense and directed by Mr. 

 Selwyn, who now so ably conducts the great Survey of 

 Canada. For some reason which we have heard variously 

 described, but which seems to have lain to some extent at 



least in official jealousies and in differences of opinion as 

 to the degree in which geological research as opposed to 

 mere mineral prospecting should guide the progress of 

 work, the Victorian Survey came to an end and its offi- 

 cers were left to seek employment elsewhere. At the 

 same time the Department of Mines in the colony showed 

 great activity in collecting mining and geological infor- 

 mation, the prime mover in this being the secretary, j\Ir. 

 Brough Smyth. When the Geological Survey ceased to 

 exist he seems to have thrown himself more into a geolo- 

 gical line. With no little sagacity and tact he gradually 

 organised a less ambitious scheme for having the country 

 geologically surveyed. He obtained the services of one 

 or two members of the previous Geological Survey, and, 

 with a small grant from the legislature, began to make a 

 geological examination of some of the mining districts, 

 and to prepare maps and sections to show their structure. 

 Under the wing of the Mining Department he evidently 

 could do a good deal without placing a formal vote for a 

 Geological Survey service on the colonial estimates. 



How much soever a man may have science at heart, in 

 such a population as that of Victoria he can hardly hope 

 to find much encouragement for science pure and simple. 

 It is needful for him to show some practical utility in his 

 work before he can expect to receive aid, especially of a 

 pecuniary kind. Fortunately in Victoria one great ele- 

 ment in the national wealth lies in mining. Anything 

 therefore which tends to increase the value of mines, or to 

 lead to the discovery of fresh mineral fields, appeals at 

 once to the feelings of the colonial legislators. 



Mr. Smyth indeed in the present Report grows very bold, 

 going even so far as to assert that the main object of the 

 survey should be scientific discovery, any practical benefit 

 arising from the work being a sort of secondary and acci- 

 dental circumstance. He takes good care, however, to 

 bring the practical benefits well into the foreground, so 

 that we imagine his superiors are not likely to quarrel 

 with his theory so long as he adheres to his present prac- 

 tice. It would, indeed, be very short-sighted pohcy to 

 interfere with him. He is unquestionably right in endea- 

 vouring to place the knowledge of the mineral structure 

 of the colony on a sound basis of scientific exploration. 

 There may perhaps be no apparent pecuniary return for 

 the outlay at first, but the money expended as he is ex- 

 pending it will assuredly in the end be repaid tenfold. It 

 will save a vast amount of expense in enabling colonists 

 to decide where to begin their mineral ventures and in 

 pointing out where no possible outlay could be profitable. 

 It will stimulate the development of the mineral wealth 

 of the country, and thus add directly and largely to the 

 national prosperity. 



We do not notice much of geological novelty in this 

 Report of Progress, though some of the details are inter- 

 esting, particularly in regaid to fresh illustrations of the 

 wonderful volcanic history of some of the goldfields, and 

 to certain of the fossils which have been obtained in 

 recent explorations. A list of all the fossil species hitherto 

 obtained in the colony is inserted in the Report, and 

 forms, so far as we know, the first list of the kind which 

 Victoria has furnished. A considerable proportion of the 

 species is from Upper or Lower Silurian rocks. A few 

 arc Devonian and Upper PaUeozoic. With regard to 

 Secondary and Tertiary rocks, Mr. Smyth very properly 



