PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS FERGUSSON. XV 



made in the application of the X-ruys at the battles front 

 today. As th(> result of Prof. Bronson's researcli we liave 

 been given a method of measuring X-rays, one of certainty, 

 and greatly in advance of previous methods which fell short 

 of what was desired by the physicist and physician. 



A year ago I referred to the remarkable results being 

 achieved in physical chemistry by the use of X-rays in 

 exploring the structure of crystals, etc. These researches 

 have been continued and many papers have been published. 

 The host of workers, Rutherford, Barkla, Moseley, the 

 Braggs, and others have given us not only theories of atomic 

 constitution but have shewn the distribution of the atoms 

 in elements and compounds; and the Messrs. Bragg by 

 X-ray methods hope shortly not only to shew the distribution 

 of the atoms but also to give us data concerning their electronic 

 rings. This will be of value in view of the interest being 

 taken at the present time in the size or sphere of influence 

 of the atoms and their compressibilities — in general, of the 

 factors in the Van der Waals' equation. 



I shall mention only one more paper. We have, as usual, 

 had submitted to us by Dr. A. H. MacKay, the Phenological 

 Observations in Nova Scotia for the previous year. The 

 compilation of these data presented year after year entails 

 a large expenditure of time and labor, gladly given on the 

 part of our Superintendent of Education. Not only do we 

 benefit, but the information collected now will be of greater 

 service to those coming after us, and I trust the pioneer 

 work of Dr. MacKay will be continued through the future 

 generations. The collection of the data, affecting as it does 

 almost every pupil and school teacher, must be looked on 

 as an important part of education in our Province in that 

 it not only opens the eye to the wonders of surrounding 

 Nature but develops the faculty of observation and trains 

 the child to "see". 



