152 



FLORA AND SYLVA, 



« SCIENTIFIC " CONTEMPT. 



The habit of some self-styled scientific men from one continent to another, and that it 



of despising all work but their own is admir- might be made to agitate some very small 



ably hit off in the following letter to The object on one side of an ocean, in obedience 



Times by Sir Frederick Bramwell. Unhappily, to impulses received from the other side. Now 



this shallow and insolent contempt prevails this was pure science ; but it was useless. For- 



in many walks, and horticulture is not ex- tunately for the world, Lord Kelvin had a "vul- 



empt from it. For instance, the Horticultural gar mind," and he set himself to consider how 



Society has a Scientific Committee as distinct these purely scientific facts could be made use- 



from its practical ones, as if real science {i.e., ful. He speculated as to how the practically in- 



knowledge) and sound practice were not the visible movement of the small object could be 



same. made visible. The obvious way was to apply a 



" On Friday evening, Mr. Herbert Hall material lever to the small object ; but Lord 



Turner, F.R.S., Savilian Professor of Astro- Kelvin knew that this would not do. He knew 



nomy in the University of Oxford, delivered that the inertia would make it unfit for rapid 



a discourse in the Royal Institution, in which and definite motion. But he did not give up 



he, very properly, put forward the claims of the problem. He said, T must find a lever which 



pure science, but, to my mind, as improperly, will weigh nothing,' and he did so ; he used a 



branded those who applied science to some beam of light. Marconi knew of ' Hertzian 



purpose of ordinary use, and of profit, as suf- waves,' but he was not content with that pure 



feringfrom "vulgarity of mind," while, how- scientific knowledge. He had a ' vulgar mind'; 



ever, admitting that the conditions of life and he set himself to apply his facts to a useful 



were rendered easier and better by reason of purpose. I wonder what the opinion of all 



such application The discourse those on board a ship near the coast in a dense 



was entirely taken up with astronomical dis- fog, warned of their position by Marconi's 

 coveries arrived at by the agency of photo- application of science, would be as regards 

 graphy. I wonder whether it ever occurred his ' vulgarity.' This lofty contempt of the 

 to Professor Turner that, if the pure science pure scientist for him who applies science is 

 of optics and the pure science of chemistry by no means new. It was evoked by Wheat- 

 had been left by their students in the condi- stone's application of electricity to telegra- 

 tion of pure science, photography would have phy, and it has been repeated more than once. 



been non-existent, and that the professor's It may, perhaps, surprise Professor 



astronomical results would, for the greater Turner to hear that there are those who 



part, have been non-obtainable ; and I also look upon astronomy itself as not being a pure 



wonder whether it ever occurred to him that science. It is said that a most distinguished 



the telescopes which he uses were the out- mathematician complained of a colleague that 



come of the work of the engineer he had ' prostituted the science of pure 



Lord Kelvin was aware that, by means of mathematics by applying it to the service of 



electric wires, electricity could be conveyed astronomy.' — Frederick Bramwell." 



The Columbines,Wild or Hybridised. — 

 Those who at this season are happy enough to 

 see the wild kinds of the Columbine in flower 

 may well wonder at the confidence which 

 makes raisers call their hybrids " improve- 

 ments ! " As compared with the wild kinds 

 they are for the most part mean and ugly 

 things ; but there has been so much talk about 

 " Darwinism " and " evolution " that many 



think our finest garden things have come 

 since the days these blessed words were used 

 and through human agency. But, in the case 

 of the Columbine, the palm of beauty is with 

 the natural species, and great beauty it is. 

 The misfortune is that the wild kinds are so 

 quickly crossed with others that we lose them, 

 and nothing is more desirable than to keep the 

 wild= species of Columbine true. 



