April 6, iSSS.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEV\^S. 



335 



TECHNICAL EDUCATION NOTES. 



Local Agricultural, Education.— The Lancashire 

 County Agricultural Society has decided to carry out the 

 proposals of the Royal Agricultural'Society, that experiments 

 should be made in various districts for the purpose of 

 educating farmers as to the best methods of forming per- 

 manent pastures, as well as increasing their knowledge of 

 practical and theoretical agriculture. The society will offer 

 prizes to young men between the ages of fourteen and twenty- 

 four for competitive e.xamination in practical agriculture and 

 the chemistry of agriculture ; lectures will be given through- 

 out North Lancashire during the summer ; and experiments 

 will be made in the growth of potatoes and grass seeds. 



Technical Lxstitution for North London. — A deputa- 

 tion representing Islington, Hackney, and Stoke Newington 

 had an interview at Gwydyr-house, Whitehall, on March 26, 

 with Mr. Anstie, O.C, Charity Commissioner (who was accom- 

 panied by Mr. Bond, Assistant Commissioner, and Mr. Batten), 

 with reference to a proposed scheme of technical institutes 

 tor the north of London. The deputation consisted of Dr. 

 Payton, Director of the Polytechnic Institution, the Vicar of 

 Islmgton, the Rector of Hackney, Mr. Dewey, and Messrs. 

 Lang, Cable, Holmes, and Jobson. Mr. Jobson stated the 

 views of the deputation, from which it appeared that the 

 Commissioners had suggested to a previous deputation that 

 St. Pancras, Islington, Hackney, and Stoke Newington should 

 combine in order to formulate an educational scheme which 

 would benefit the north of London. Since that time three 

 of the parishes — Hackney, Islington, and Stoke Newington — 

 had met, but St, Pancras had declined to join them, and they 

 now desired to know what assistance they could get out ot 

 the City Parochial Funds for their scheme. It would be 

 difficult to raise money, but, supposing that they raised 

 _^6o,ooo in Islington and Hackney, could the Charity Com- 

 missioners promise them one-half of that amount? Mr. 

 Anstey said that the Charity Commissioners' proposal to 

 South London was to contribute pound to pound to be applied 

 rather to permanent endowments than to pay any preliminary 

 expenses. The Commissioners were very anxious in any 

 scheme that was proposed that provision should be made 

 for children between the ages of thirteen and sixteen to con- 

 tinue their instruction, and they particularly wished to benefit 

 the poorer classes. In fact, they were bound to do so under 

 the provisions of the Act. If St. Pancras stood outside, then 

 the Commissioners would have to treat with the three 

 parishes alone. He urged them very strongly to use every 

 effort to get as much money as possible. The Commissioners 

 would look most favourably upon a scheme which contained 

 in it the promise of the largest contributions. 



ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



The Royal College of Physicians of London. — Sir 

 Andrew Clark, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S., has been elected presi- 

 dent of this college. 



Institution of Civil Engineers. — Before commencing 

 the ordinary business at the meeting on March 27th, Mr. 

 George B. Bruce (the President) alluaed to the death of Mr. 

 T. E. Harrison, a past president, whose name had, he said, 

 appeared as a member on tlie books of the institution for 

 fifty-four years, and to whose personal and professional 

 qualities he paid a high tribute. 



Royal Literary Fund. — The attendance at the dinner of 

 the Royal Literary Fund, at which Sir James Paget will pre- 

 side, on Wednesday, May 2, promises to be exceptionally 

 full. Many of the leading members of the medical profession, 

 both in London and the provinces, and several Fellows of 

 the Royal Society have already signified their intention of 

 supporting the chairman, and there is every prospect of the 

 the gatliering being one of the most brilliant that has taken 

 place for many years. 



Royal Institution. — The following are the lecture arrange- 

 ments for after Easter : Dr. Charles Waldstein, three lectures 

 on " John Ruskin " ; Mr. Walter Gardiner, three lectures on 

 "The Plant in the War of Nature"; Mr. Sidney Colvin, 

 three lectures on "Conventions and Conventionality in Art " ; 

 Professor Dewar, six lectures on " The Chemical Arts " ; 

 Professor T. G. Bonney, three lectures on " The Growth and 

 Sculpture of the Alps " ; Mr. Carl Armbruster, seven lectures 

 on "The Later Works of Richard Wagner" (with vocal and 

 instrumental illustrations); Professor C. E. Turner, three 

 lectures on " Count Tolstoi as Novelist and Thinker." The 

 loUowing are the probable arrangements fortheFriday evening 

 meetings for the ensuing session : Professor Flower, " The 

 Pygmy Races of Men"; The Right Hon. Sir William R. 

 Giove, "Antagonism"; Mr. James Wimshurst, "Electrical 

 Influence Machines " ; Professor J. K. Laughton, " The In- 

 vincible Armada ; a Tercentenary Retrospect " ; Mr. W. H. 

 Barlow, " Building the New Tay Bridge " ; Mr. Francis Gal- 

 ton, "Personal Identification and Description"; Professor 

 J. A. Ewing, " Earthquakes, and how to measure them " ; 

 and a discourse by Professor Dewar. 



Bethnal-green Free Library. — The twelfth annual 

 meeting of the supporters and friends of this library was 

 held recently at the Institution, London-street, Bethnal-green. 

 Lord Brassey occupied the chair, and amongst those present 

 were Professor Seeley, the Rev. Septimus Hansard, Mr. F. A. 

 Bevan (the treasurer), Mr. Haysman, and the Rev. Dr. Tyler. 

 The report of the committee stated that the past year had 

 been one of steady progress in all departments of the 

 library ; the inhabitants of Bethnal-green and the surround- 

 ing districts continued to avail themselves largely of the 

 advantages offered, and that at times it had been found diffi- 

 cult to afford them sufficient accommodation. The number 

 of books presented during the year was 973, raising the stock 

 to' 35,106. The free lectures included a course of illustrated 

 scientific lectures by Professor Seeley and a course of lec- 

 tures on health by Dr. Barnard O'Connor. Other evenings 

 had been given to high-class conccts, and a series of Satur- 

 day night popular concerts had been given. The evening 

 classes showed steady progress, a larger number of students 

 taking prizes. The number of persons attending the library, 

 lectures, and classes was estimated at 42,000. The income 

 during the year was /S32, and the expenditure at ;{^S2S. 

 The report concluded with an appeal for funds for the con- 

 templated building, towards which it was stated that Sir H. 

 Tyler had promised £1,000. Lord Brassey, in the course of 

 a short address, announced his intention of becoming an 

 annual subscriber, and said they must have schools of art 

 and libraries like this planted in every part of the metropolis, 

 and that he believed that the good work being done in this 

 institution only needed to be known to bring in a large 

 addition to their funds. 



Barcelona E.khibition, 1SS8. — The Secretary of State for 

 Foreign Affairs has communicated to the Society of Arts a 

 despatch from Her Majesty's Ambassador at Madrid, report- 

 ing on the present state of the intended Exhibition at 

 Barcelona, in which Sir Francis Clare-Ford refers to the 

 condition of the Exhibition, and the rapid progress which is 

 being made in the improvement of the City of Barcelona by 

 the erection around the E.xhibition of many fine buildings. 

 Gardens are being laid out where before were unseemly 

 pieces of waste ground. An aquarium is to be built on the 

 sands, and commodious bathing-houses and tents are to be 

 erected ; one of these is to be arranged for the especial use 

 of the Queen-Regent. It is stated that there will be over 

 30,000 exhibitors, of whom only 80 are English ; 3,500 square 

 yards are assigned to the Barcelona Province alone, of which 

 3,000 have already been secured. The first batch of goods 

 for the Exhibition has arrived from Germany and Austria ; 

 and great efforts are being made to insure the success of the 

 French portion of the Exhibition, In the agricultural pavilion 

 a space of Soo square yards has been assigned for French 

 agricultural products. The ambassador expresses the opinion 

 that the date for the lopening of the Exhibition will have to 

 be postponed, as it cannot be ready much before the first 

 week iri May. 



