John Chalmers Morton. 
693 
Franklaud, D.C.L., F.R.S. This difficult inquiry, which lasted 
for six years, entailed much laborious work and careful observa- 
tion, and Mr. Morton threw into it all that energy and en- 
thusiasm for which he was so conspicuous, never resting content 
with information at second-hand if ; it was possible to obtain it 
by personal investigation. All the chief river basins of Great 
Britain were explored, the polluting matters discharged into 
their running waters traced, and preventive or remedial measures 
investigated. In the great majority of instances, and notably 
in the case of the sewage of towns, the most effective remedy 
was an agricultural one, and it was in this department of the 
inquiry that the profound knowledge, extensive experience, and 
sound sense of Mr. Morton were of the greatest value to his 
colleagues. All the sewage farms and sewage cleansing in- 
stallations in the kingdom were visited, and the data concerningf 
them carefully collected. He also studied in much detail the 
so-called preventive measures, such as the Lancashire midden, 
the dry earth closet, and the pail system. He drew a striking 
comparison between these and the water-carriage system of the 
disposal of excreta, and it is no exaggeration to say that the 
searching investigations of Mr. Morton into these rival systems 
placed them for the first time in their true economical and 
sanitaiy positions. His vigorous pen and incisive sentences 
may be traced throughout the Eeports of the Commissioners ; 
indeed the agricultural portions of those reports were virtually 
his work. 
Mr. jMorton's appearance in the J ournal of the Royal Ag'ri- 
cultural Society began even earlier than his editorship of the 
Arjricidhrral Gazette, for we find him writing to Mr. Pusey, the 
then Editor, on November 18, 1840, a letter sending particulars 
of a crop of White or Belgian Carrots on Lord Ducie's farm at 
Whitfield, which was published in the second volume of the 
Journal. In the seventh volume (1846) appeared Mr. Morton's 
first article : on the Maintenance of Fertility in new Arable 
Land, as illustrated particularly by the occurrences at Whitfield 
Farm since it had been drained and broken up out of old grass 
land about eight years before. To Volume X. of the Journal 
(1849) he contributed a Prize Essay some 40 pages in length 
on the Means of increasing our Supplies of Animal I'ood. 
Further articles by him appeared in Volume XIX. (1858) on 
the Cost of Horse-power, which contained some very elaborate 
and valuable statistical tables, and in Volume XX. (1859) on 
Agricultural Maxima, in which were given details of largest 
yields of agricultural produce of different kinds. 
In the fii'st volume of the Second Series (1865) appeared 
