212 REPORT—1874. 
telligently and injured the farms, the community, and themselves. ‘A close 
observation of many years,” said the writer, “ during which it has been my custom 
to drive long distances for the express purpose of investigting this matter, convinces 
me that the proportion of ill-cultivated land in England is seriously large, and the 
loss to the nation and to individuals isimmense. Men will take farms, and land- 
lords will accept them as tenants, who scarcely understand the systems in vogue, 
nor the modern discoveries and inventions which would increase the fertility of 
their land and enhance its value : the consequences are obvious, the land, improperly 
cultivated, deteriorates in value, a double blow is death at the pocket of the occu- 
pier and at the condition of the farm, and too often it takes years to recoup’the 
one and to restore the other.” 
The scheme “ for the technical education of those interested in land ” was then 
introduced. The main points were the combination of ordinary education with 
the gradual acquisition of agricultural knowledge, the slow process of vegetable 
growth admitting of gradual instruction in the raising and treatment of plants 
and cereals, especial stress being laid upon the fact that “life at a public school or 
at a university unfits young men, more or less, for the acquirement of such know- 
ledge, their tastes and inclinations interfering in many cases with the necessary 
work to be done and the necessary observation to be given ere a man can really 
understand the requirements of plants and animals and the manipulation (which 
on heavy land is extremely delicate and important) of varying soils. 
Assuming that the desirability of acquirmg this knowledge was conceded, the 
writer then proposed that it should be imparted to students, from time to time, in 
such a manner as not to interfere with ordinary scholastic teaching, the only 
objection appearing to be the expense of an extra teacher, whose whole time should 
be given to this branch of education. In this manner, it was the writer’s opinion, 
that it was possible to make young men “ brilliant scholars and intelligent practical 
farmers at the same time,” conferring upon them information most useful to members 
of Parliament, magistrates, and country gentlemen, and “ enabling them to compre- 
hend the wants and feelings of their tenants and neighbours, and thus investing 
them with a certain moral power which without this knowledge they could not 
possess in so high a degree.” 
MECHANICAL SCIENCE. 
- 
Address by Prof. James Tuomson, C.E., F.R.S.E., President of the Section. 
For a number of years past it has been customary, in this and other sections of the 
British Association for the Advancement of Science, that the President should give 
an introductory address at the opening of each new session. In compliance with _ 
that usage, 1 propose now to offer to you a few brief remarks on various subjects of 
Mechanical Science and Practice. These subjects have not been chosen on any 
systematic plan. I have not aimed at bringing under review the whole or any large 
number of the most important subjects at present worthy of special notice in En- 
gineering or in Mechanics generally. I intend merely to speak of a few matters 
which have happened to come under my notice, or have engaged my attention, and 
which appear to me to be interesting through their novelty or through their im- 
portant progress in recent times, or to merit attention as subjects in which amend- 
ment and future progress are to be desired. 
In Railway Engineering, one of the most important topics for consideration, as 
it appears to me, is that which relates to the abatement of dangers in the conduct- 
ing of the traffic. The traffic of many of our old railways has become enormously 
increased in recent years. With the construction of new lines the numbers of 
junctions, stations, and sidings have been greatly increased; and each of these en-- 
tails some attendant dangers. As a natural consequence of the increased traffic on 
