Oct. 29, 1885 | 
NATURE 
622 
promised that extensive correspondence with De Morgan, 
which will secure the attention of every lover of the 
“Budget of Paradoxes.” At the close of our former 
notice we insisted on the duty which devolved on the 
University of Dublin of publishing in a collected form 
the mathematical writings of their illustrious son. This 
duty has not yet been discharged ; let us hope that it will 
not be left to some foreign mathematician to undertake 
the work which it should be the glory of Trinity College 
to complete. 
AN AGRICULTURAL NOTE-BOOK 
An Agricultural Note-Book. By W. C. Taylor, 
Aspatria, Carlisle. (London: Longmans, 1885.) 
T is not often that note-books are published, and it is 
well. Notes are in their nature fragmentary, and 
disposed towards brevity, often lapsing into crudity. 
They are a sort of skeleton of imparted knowledge, or at 
least rather anatomical than living, moving, and breath- 
ing information. The least and the most that may be 
reasonably expected of them is that they should be 
correct. The small book which has just been published 
by Messrs. Longmans does not commend itself to our 
judgment. It is crude, fragmentary, and almost inarticu- 
late or unintelligible. It purports to contain a body of 
teaching and of facts, but it really consists of disjointed 
sentences, the meaning of which it is often very difficult 
to gather. The grammatical construction of the sen- 
tences is also fearful and wonderful. To give an idea of 
this latest contribution to agricultural science, we select 
the opening passage, page 1, which reads as follows :— 
“The science of agriculture. Definitions and terms. Its 
definitions. Scientific truths taught by the practice of 
agriculture.” “The practice of the farm teaching the 
science. The laws of agricultural science best learnt when 
thus taught, and lead to improvements in the applica- 
tion of science to farm practice.” If this is a definition, 
much has been written in vain as to the difficulty of 
defining. It not only fails in definiteness, but is curiously 
involved, as well as untrue, for “the practice of the farm 
teaching the science” is an impossible and impracticable 
idea. 
The word “its” before each paragraph of definitions 
and terms appears to bear reference to the general 
heading, “The Science of Agriculture,’ and cannot be 
supposed to bear a grammatical relation to “ definitions 
and terms.” Taking this view of Mr. Taylor’s “ notes,” 
we read as follows :— 
“Tts character in the soil, as temper, will, and disposi- 
tion. These to be noted: success of farmer depending 
much on his knowledge of above (sister sciences). 
Hungry, sick, grateful, obstinate, kindly, tender, &c.” 
We defy any one to make any sense out of these utter- 
ances, whether taken with or without their context. 
Next we have an attempt at further amplification. 
Thus “1 HUNGRyY—constantly in want of food.” Now, 
be it remarked that the subject is saz/s, and we are told 
that a soil is “hungry, constantly in want of food.” 
Also that it is “sick.” Here is indeed confusion of 
metaphor and blind guiding with a vengeance. Only let 
readers of NATURE endeavour to picture to their minds a 
hungry and sick soil! No wonder that Mr. Taylor in 
the richness of his fancy can further enlarge upon its 
gratitude, tenderness, and kindliness. Page 1 would 
itself furnish ample matter for review. It is as full of 
difficulties as the Moabitish stone, although it might 
so well repay deciphering. 
Again we read: ‘‘Short supply of organic matter im- 
proved by adding clay, where practicable, and vegetable 
matter.” While concurring with the last simply-given 
advice as remedying the fault in question, we deny that 
any amount of clay can help towards this end. 
Turning p. I, we come to p. 2, where we begin at the 
top as follows :—“ 3. TENDER.—Hard and baked. Im- 
proved by rain, drags and harrows at right time.” This 
tender soil is then hard and baked, and it appears also 
that it is improved by certain natural and artificial 
agencies which we thought were not only and solely unfit 
for the amelioration of such tender, albeit hard and baked 
soils. 
On the same page we are thus enlightened as to the 
primitive rocks :—‘‘ The primitive rocks differ from 
materials yielded by decay, which is accomplished by 
oxygen (O) and carbonic acid (CO,), gases invisible and 
transparent. Both attack rocks and metals, however 
hard ; seen in the mould-board of the plough reducing 
it (?) to a powder without noise. Temperature and water, 
other two agen/s acting on the Traitor’s zrox and potash, 
loosening particles from the hard rock.” .... These 
agents are the /riendly helpers to the farmer. The 
italics are Mr. Taylor’s own. We are irresistibly reminded 
of Mr. Weg and Mr. Venus, those two “friendly 
movers” in “ Our Mutual Friend.” 
Passing onwards through the dreary succession of 
sentences devoid of subject, predicate, or copula, we 
arrive at p. 12, where instruction is given upon the various 
component parts of soils. Here we find the following 
information regarding alumina :—“ Alumina. (1) Present 
in the soil, but not in plant food. (2) Double silicates 
are (1) silicate of alumina, (2) (a) lime, (4) potash, (c) or 
of soda, (@) or of ammonia. (3) Order of compounds, 
H,;N,K,CO;, Na,CO;. The higher favourite puts out a 
lower and unites with the silicate of alumina. (4) The 
powers of vegetable life command an influence over each 
and all the second-rank partners. (5) Performs work of 
outdoor servant. (6) Reconstructs broken-up partner- 
ships. (7) Amidst the faithless, constant only she. 
(8) Acts as purveyor of food for the plant.” 
We leave this extraordinary statement of the eight 
duties of alumina in the soil to the judgment of any sound 
scientific man or agriculturist, asking only why young 
people should be subjected to teaching so completely mis- 
leading, erroneous, and unintelligible, on the plea that 
they are obtaining insight into the principles of agri- 
cultural science ? 
THE PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS 
The Causes and the Prevention of Blindness. By Dr. 
Ernst Fuchs, Professor of Ophthalmology in the Uni- 
versity of Liége. Translated by Dr. R. E. Dudgeon. 
8vo, pp. 23¢. (London: Bailliére, Tindall, and Cox, 
1885.) 
NDER the title of “ The Causes and Prevention of 
Blindness,” Dr. Dudgeon has translated an essay, 
written by Dr. Fuchs, of Liége, under the conditions of a 
