On the Purification of Water hy means of Iron. 681 
cramped, warped, and twisted notion of the spirit in which such 
men as officiate at the Shows of the Rojal Agricultural Society 
of England discharge their duties, and a very imperfect notion 
of the responsibility which an exhibitor incurs. Incompetency, 
often, dishonest partiality, sometimes, is imputed to the Judges. 
May not the theory of exhibition be thus stated ? — The question 
at issue among breeders, or between each exhibiting breeder 
and each other exhibiting breeder, is as to the comparative 
merits of certain animals in the possession of those breeders 
severally. That question is submitted to arbitration, and is to 
be decided in the Showyard of the Royal Agricultural Society 
by men appointed by a competent elective body representing 
the exhibitors. The Judges are selected as men of high cha- 
racter, and as each an expert in his own line ; and the 
exhibitors, by the act of entering their animals for show, and 
again by the act of sending them to the Showyard, accept the 
arbitration of those Judges, and should frankly and loyally 
abide by it. To discredit the Judges because they have de- 
cided against a certain animal, would seem to be a most un- 
generous act, if it were not worse than that, a breach of good 
faith ; just as much so as a dishonest decision on the part of the 
Judge would be. The exhibitor sends his animal in faith that 
a competent Judge will act honestly ; the competent Judge 
accepts office (theoretically, at least) in faith that the exhibitor 
will accept his decision as an honest one. The difficulties of 
Judges can be rightly estimated only by those who have them- 
selves officiated as Judges, and who have so learned how many 
questions, beyond mere outside appearances and sensations per- 
ceived by touch, must be mentally asked and answered before a 
faithful decision can be given. We want a little more English 
manliness, a little more gentlemanly superiority to mean sus- 
picion ; not among exhibitors in general, but among those of an 
unhappy minority to whom the foregoing remarks may apply. 
XXII. — On the Purification of Water hy means of Iron. By 
W. Anderson, C.E., M.Inst.M.E., Consulting Engineer to 
the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 
It has long been known that iron possessed the remarkable 
property of removing colour from water, and of decomposing 
organic matter held in solution. 
Some twenty-seven years ago, Dr. Medlock took out a patent 
for the use of iron as a purifying agent ; but it was not till 
within the last fourteen years, when Professor G. Bischof took 
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