54 



NATURE 



[Nov. 20, 1879 



discovery of new double stars and the revision of an 

 extensive list of known ones which appeared most 

 deserving of attention. He remarks : " My work has 

 been wholly a labour of love. During the business hours 

 of every day I have been otherwise fully occupied, and 

 hence my observations have been prosecuted often at the 

 expense of rest, sleep, and recreation. I submit the 

 results to the Royal Astronomical Society as the first 

 contribution of the great equatorial of the Dearborn 

 Observatory." Mr. Burnham had however published ; 

 between 1873 and 1877, nine smaller lists of new double 

 stars, containing 4S2 in all ; the present catalogue brings 

 up the number to 733 ; indeed, his energy and success 

 have been alike extraordinary. 



In looking over this tenth catalogue of new doubles, 

 many objects are noted which deserve more or less atten- 

 tion. >; Piscium, a star of the fourth magnitude, has a 

 companion of the eleventh at a distance of one second, 

 and " there is no known pair among stars of this magni- 

 tude or brighter, with so close and minute a companion." 

 Three stars have been found near the celebrated variable, 

 Algol, all three closer than Schroter's companion ; one of 

 I2'5m. is distant only 10" '6 on an angle of 115°. There 

 are also three new doubles amongst the Pleiades, and a 

 much nearer companion to Aldebaran than that observed 

 by Herschel and Struve. In an object in R.A. (iSSo'o), 

 2lh. im. 25s., and Decl. +43° 12', Mr. Burnham finds the 

 most minute close pair known and terms it " a curiosity 

 in double stars, if for no other reason ; " it is too small for 

 Argelander's Durchmusterung j the components are about 

 equal and near 11m., distance o"'4. There are two faint 

 companions to Herschel's "Garnet-star" in Cepheus, 

 and not the least interesting addition is a comes of 1 2 '5m. 

 preceding nearly on the parallel, by o"7, the star 85 

 Pegasi, which has large proper motion and a sensible 

 parallax according to the investigations of Prof. Briinnow 

 at Dunsink ; as Mr. Burnham remarks the physical con- 

 nection or otherwise of the faint star should be soon 

 decided. 



In the second catalogue, as we have stated above, 

 there are many binary systems, the Chicago observations 

 either confirming previous deductions or indicating new 

 objects in motion. Mr. Burnham doubts the duplicity of 

 Atlas Pleiadum, though Struve considered that confidence 

 might be placed in his measures of 1827, an inference 

 somewhat supported by Dr. Hartwig's observation on the 

 occultation of the star by the moon in 1S76. An examina- 

 tion of the interior of the trapezium of Orion, afforded 

 not the slightest suspicion of any additional stars, and 

 hence Mr. Burnham concludes that several faint objects 

 supposed to have been seen within it, with smaller tele- 

 scopes, have no real existence, and he expresses the same 

 opinion as to recent suspected companions of the Pole- 

 star. He shows good reason for inferring that one of the 

 components of 2 1058 is variable ; the brighter star is 

 missing in more than one catalogue where it might be 

 expected to be found, and in 187S a thorough search did 

 not reveal any double star near its place, but in the early 

 part of the present year he has been more successful and 

 has measured the star on two nights, when the magnitudes 

 were respectively 8 and 11. A reference to Mr. Burnham's 

 notes will afford a number of other objects to which special 

 interest attaches. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



T/ie Saidapet Experimental Farm Manual and Guide. 



By C. Benson. (Madras, 1879.) 

 This volume is published by the direction of the Madras 

 Government, and consists of a Report by the Super- 

 intendent of the more important results obtained at the 

 experimental farm since its commencement in 1865. An 

 agricultural college has been recently added to the farm 

 establishment, but this educational work lies beyond the 

 scope of the present volume. Of the value of the work 

 done on this experimental farm there can be no question; 

 the Government money spent on it has been well laid out. 

 If the miserable and profitless native systems of agriculture 

 are to be improved, and the land made capable of sup- 

 porting the rapidly increasing population, it must be by 

 the adoption of the methods here recommended. 



In the native agriculture the soil is stirred to the depth 

 of 3 inches only, manure is seldom employed, and grain 

 crops are generally the only ones cultivated ; the land is 

 thus reduced to its lowest limit of productiveness. Irri- 

 gation is also most wastefully conducted. Eight to twelve 

 feet of water are consumed in the production of a single 

 crop of paddy, the ground being turned into a swamp, 

 and frequently becoming a source of disease to the sur- 

 rounding population. 



The improvements recommended are in the first place 

 a deeper cultivation of the soil, by which its porosity and 

 water-holding power would be increased, and the root 

 development of the crop favoured. An English plough 

 is said to cost twenty-five times the price of a native im- 

 plement, but the work done is so superior that the increased 

 outlay will be repaid during a single year's cultivation of 

 twenty acres. Many soils also require draining. The 

 rainfall in India is at certain times of the year extremely 

 heavy (16 inches have been recorded at Saidapet in twenty- 

 four hours) ; on such occasions undrained land becomes for 

 a long period unworkable, and much precious time is lost. 

 Judicious drainage will not diminish the water holding 

 power of heavy land, but rather increase it by promoting 

 the disintegration of the subsoil. Drainage is also greatly 

 needed in many cases for irrigated land ; without this the 

 water may become stagnant and its good effect greatly 

 diminished. 



The next improvement demanded is the adoption of a 

 proper rotation of crops, in which fodder crops should 

 hold an important place. The experiments have shown 

 that a large number of excellent fodder crops exist, which 

 can be cultivated if need be all the year round. The 

 fodder crops most strongly recommended are cholum 

 {Sorghum vulgare), and guinea grass (Panicum jitmen- 

 iorium). Sugar cane, where well manured, affords an 

 immense amount of excellent fodder. Paddy may also 

 be often usefully cut while green, and a good supply of 

 fodder thus obtained when the quantity of water available 

 is too small to carry the crop to maturity. Horse gram 

 (Dolichos uniflorns) may also be grown with advantage as a 

 fodder crop, and four or five cuttings may be obtained in 

 the year. Being a leguminous plant, rich in nitrogen, it is of 

 great use in bringing poor land into condition, and maybe 

 ploughed in as a green manuring with excellent effect. 



tine great object of the growth of fodder crops is to 

 enable the farmer to raise the condition of his soil by 

 applications of organic manure ; to increase the amount 

 of humic matter in the soil is a most important step 

 towards amelioration in such a climate as that of India. 

 The fodder crops should be consumed by cattle, kept, at 

 least during the night, in loose boxes, and the manure thus 

 obtained returned to the land. Other manures recom- 

 mended are steeped cotton-seed, salpetre, bones, and 

 lime. 



Until the condition of the land is raised by proper cul- 

 tivation and manuring, a large number of improvements 

 must remain impossible. Superior grain crops, and 



