Novum liiiu. r, 18SS.J T hK TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3*9 
The Chairman said there was on the card a 
notice of another paper to be read — the antiquities 
of a place the name of which he would not 
endeavour to read, but he did not know whether 
at that late hour the meeting would like to hear 
the paper, have it taken as read, or postponed to 
another meeting.— After a pause he said he thought 
he might take it to be the wish of the meeting 
that it-i reading should be postponed till the next 
meeting. (Applause.) 
lie then proposed the adjournment of tho meet- 
ing to the next customary day, of which notice 
would be given by the Secretary. 
Mr. Thomas Berwick, before this resolution was 
put to the meeting, moved a voto of thanks 
to the Chairman and welcomed him on his 
first appearance at a meeting of the Royal Asiatic 
Society, lie was sure they all hoped that they 
would often be favoured with the light of his 
countonance there. (Applause.) 
The Chairman in reply said: — I thank you 
very much for the kind expressions which Mr. 
Berwick has used. It will always be a pleasure 
to me to bo present, and 1 hope, in the language of 
Mr, Berwick, thero will always be as much light 
retleoted in the company as there is at present. 
Alluding to a remark that Mr. Ferguson made I 
cannot suppose that the presence of so many ladies 
has been attracted by myself so much as by the 
lecturer. (Applause.) 
The meeting then terminated. 
♦ - 
GEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE A DESIDERATUM 
FOlt PLANTERS. 
Au article so headed in the South of India Observer 
generalizes correctly as follows : — 
It is sometimes a°kcd wbethor a thooretica 
knowledge of any scicn«c is of essential importance! 
to these who have merely to attend to its practical 
applications ? The sailor, it is said, may navigate 
his vessel without a scientific acquaintance with 
math) unities, or astronomy ; the operative may 
manufacture chemical products without a knowledge 
of the laws of obemistry ; and the miuer may profit- 
ably e.\ tract from the earth's crust its minerals aud 
metals, ami yet bo altogether iguorant of the de- 
ductions of geology. But while this is true— and it 
is true only iu the sense of making those men the 
tools of thu scientific hkill of others — it will surely 
not I'd gainsaid that neither tho sailor, the operative, 
nor the miner would discharge: his duties less efficient- 
ly wee ho possessed of somo knowledge of the 
principals upon which his own special art is founded. 
A man may proceed a certain length upon mere 
empirical skill, but empiricism is always restricted, 
1ms no progressive elasticity about it, mil i< tot illy 
helpless when new conditions or unusual pb"i o nob > 
pri -c it themselves. It is science alone which cau 
explain such appearances, aud suggest the methods 
by which new difficulties may be surmounted. 
Scientific knowledge mid the practical applications of 
that knowledge cannot bo dissociated ; tho more 
exact aud extensive the one the more certain and 
successful the other. W h.it is often held up in 
laudation as " practical skill " is but the result of 
long observation and deduction, and tho widor that 
observation and the more exact that deduction the 
sounder ami moro successful thut practical skill. 
Tho observation and deduction may not have shaped 
themselves into any systoin of uci , but they »ro 
science nevertheless, ami tho offspring of much 
comparing, reasoning, and reflecting ; and what 
is seioucu but tho observation of phenomena, tho 
marshalling of facts, and tho drawing of legitimate 
conclusions l 1 A man's practical skill is but the 
methodical arrangement of bis experiences, and 
such an arrangement is science in the lies' .ml 
tiucut eou.it) of the term. There cau bo no antago- 
nism, therefore between science and art — betwe :n 
theoretical knowledge and its practical applications. 
Then follows the practical application : — 
A knowledge of the composition and structure, of 
the earth's crust becomes more and more iudispec - 
able; and hence au acquaintance with goology, if he 
would learn where this or that mineral is to he 
found, the abundanco in which it occurs and the 
facililes with which it can bo oblaiued for this pur- 
pose. The minerals and metals are not scattered 
broadcast throughout the earth, They have their 
places and these relations it is the fuuetion of 
geology to determiue. Whoever, therefore, has to 
deal with tho products of tho earth in their ecouomic 
or commercial aspects cannot fail to be benefitted 
by some scantling of geological knowledge. Let us 
endeavour to make this clearer by a few illustra- 
tive examph s. And, first, the soils we cultivate 
depending for their fertility on their composition 
and texture may be naturally unfertile, and yet may 
be capable of improvement by simple admixture of 
other soils, by drainage, or by mineral manuring. 
The planter who knows tho nature of his foils and 
sub-soils, their underlying rocks, is surely therefore, 
in a better position to correct their deficiencies by 
admixture, by draining, and by manuring than one 
who cannot discriminate the nature of these soils 
or detect their deficiencies. The elements of fertile 
admixture may lie within the same estate ; the 
defects in composition may be corrected by the 
application of appropriate mineral manures ; but 
how cau the planter obtain this needed information 
fave through a geological acquaintance with the 
nature of the materials he has to operato upon 
and apply ? " Let him obtain it from the geologist, " 
says some one, and apply it empirically. So far 
good ; but infinitely better that the plauter know 
something of the matter himself, and could separate 
the wheat from the chaff of his scientific advisers. 
Secondly, as the worth of an estate depends not 
only on its agricultural but also on its miueral value 
especially in these days of gold mining, the planter 
who is unable to determine the character of its soils 
snd subsoils, and is ignorant of its miueral structure, 
cau never do justice to himself or his employer. 
A knowledge of tho geological structure of au 
estate is not less necessary to fixing its real value, 
than a knowledge of its agricultural value ; and it 
is from a lack of these that estates are either sold 
under their value or bought at unremuuerative 
prices. No planter is worthy of the name who is 
incapable of appreciating this two-fold aspect of 
the value of 1 inded property. Some of the older 
schools may affect indifference to science ; but the 
younger members of the profession may lay it to 
heart that tbo knowledge which sufficed even twenty 
years ago will not sustain them iu the race of life 
iu these days of gigautic undertakings and moro 
t xact calculation. 
The above are the main portion of a long article, the 
heading of which is scarcely comprehensive enough. 
The article really indicates what is true, that it 
would be a groat advantage to every planter to possess 
a compotent knowledgo of agricultural chemistry, which 
includes at least the elements of g-eology atu \ mineral- 
ogy, and also the properties and effect on soils of 
manures, artificial as well as natural. With the deeper 
mysteries of geology and mineralogy, an agriculturist 
need not bo familiar, but with tho constituents of the 
commoner rocks aud soil aud of all manorial substances 
he cannot bo too familiar, so as to enable him to give 
practical effect to his theoretical knowledge. 
♦ 
TEA CULTIVATION IN INDIA : 
A Paves by Dr. J*. K. Roylh. 
Dr. J. K. Hoyle has contributed tbo following 
letter to Xnlurg : — The subject of tea cultivation 
in India is one to which innumerable writers have 
devoted their attention, aud not the least vahiahlo 
portion of Dr. Keistmantel's work, '• I >ie Tbeekultur 
in Hritincu-Ust Indicn, " is the bibliography of the 
subject with which, wh.lu recording bio iudobteduiti 
