i^EB. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTOBIST 
SIR HENRY GILBERT, 
In our last issue we briefly annouuced the death 
of Sir Joseph Henry Gilbert, the able and devoted 
coadjutor of the late Sir J B Lawes, Bart., the 
eminent authority on scientific agriculture and chemis- 
try. Sir Henry passed away at his residence at 
Hardpsnden, at ten minutes past twelve o'clock on 
Monday morning, the 23rd inst., in the presence of 
his family. 
Sir Henry, who had long been ailing, was first 
taken seriously ill in August last at Strathpeffer, 
Scotland where he had gone for his summer's 
holiday, being attacked by acute hsemorrhage, fol- 
lowed by nervous exhaustion and neuralgia of the 
stomach. 
Sir Joseph Henry Gilbert was born at Hull, 
August 1, 1817, and was therefore in his eighty- 
fifth year, being three years the junior of Sir John 
Lawes. His father was the Rev. Joseph Gibert,, 
the author of several theological works. His mother 
Ann Taylor, of Ongar, who survived until 1866, 
was well known as an authoress ^of poems, writing 
originally with her sister under the names of Ann 
and Jane Taylor, 
After his school education, and the loss of several 
years by a gun-shot accident, which mush impaired 
his health and deprived him of the sight of one 
eye, Dr. Gilbert commenced his college courses at 
the University of Glasgow, where he had as contem- 
poraries Sir Joseph Hooker and Dr. T Thomson 
the Indian botanist. Here, as elsewhere, he paid 
special attention to chemistry, devoting some time 
to analytical chemistry in the laboratory of the late 
Professor T Thomson. He next studied at Univer- 
sity College, London, attending the classes of Pro- 
fessor Graham and others, and working in the 
laboratory of the late Dr. Anthony Todd Thomson. 
A short time was afterwards spent in the labora- 
tory of Professor von Liebig at Giessen, where he 
took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Return- 
ing to University College, Landon, Dr. Gilbert waa 
class and laboratory assistant to Professor A T 
Thomson in the winter and summer sessions of 
1840 41, and attended other courses at the College 
at the same time. On leaving college, he devoted 
himself for a time to the chemistry of calico- 
printing, dyeing, ., in the neighbourhood of 
Manchester. 
In June, 1843, Dr. Gilbert became associated with 
Mr. (afterwards Sir John) Lawes in the Rotihamsted 
investigations, and from that time until hia death 
has been engaged as director of the Rothamsted 
field and laboratory experiments, which consisted of 
a systematic series of researches in agricultural 
chemistry and physiology of animals and plants. In 
the early part of his career at Rothamsted he was 
engaged in the manufacture of calomel in an old 
barn which served as a laboratory. At that time 
Mr. Lawes sought his services as chemist in some 
commercial undertakings, tut Dr. Gilbert preferred 
to remain at Rothamsted, and commenced that 
brilliant series of researches which conferred so 
much honour on the two investigators. These re- 
Bearches began as "flower-pot experiments," bat 
Were gradually extended till they became field ex- 
periments on a scale hitherto unattempted. 
The Rothamsted experiments may, indeed, be 
proBouuced unique, and are certainly without 
parallel, either as to extent, character, or scientific 
and practical usefulness. It is not asserting too 
much to say that these researches have done more 
to advance agricultural and horticultural science, 
and have been and will be of greater service to 
agriculture than can ever be fully realised. Other 
conntries can boast of very numerous agricultural 
stations supported by Government, whilst we have 
very few ; but the Rothamsted experiments carried 
out by private individuals surpass all that has been 
done in any other country with or without GoTera« 
m^at a,id. 
Sir Henry was elected a member of the Ghemioal 
Society in 1841, the year of its formation, and was. 
President of the Society in 1882-83, He was elected 
a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1860, and ia 186T 
the Council of the Society awarded to him, in con- 
junction with Sir John B. Lawes, one of the Royal 
medals. He received the honorary degree of M.A.. 
at Oxford in 1844, that of LL.D. at Glasgow in 1883, 
and at Edinburgh in 1890, as also that of Sc.D; at 
Cambridge in 1894. He was Sibthorpian Professor 
of Rural Economy in the University of Oxford for 
six years, from 1884 to 1890. 
In May, 1893, the President and Council of tha 
Society of Arts awarded the Albert Gold Medal to 
Sir John Lawes and to Sir Henry Gilbert for their 
joint services to scientific agriculture, and notably 
for the researches which, throughout a period of 
fifty years, had been carried on by them at the 
experimental* farm at Rothamsted ; and the medals 
were presented to them at Marlborough House by 
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales (now King Edward VII.), 
President of the Society, in the presence of many 
members of the Council. Like his collaborator, Sir 
John Lawes, he was an honorary or corresponding 
member of numerous home and foreign agrioaltarai 
and scientific societies. On August 11th, 1893, that 
is, about a fortnight after the jubilee celebration 
at Rothamsted, Dr. Gilbert received the honoor of 
knighthood. 
The Jubilee of the Rothamsted Experimental Star 
tion in 1893 was made the occasion of a ceremonial 
which waa of an unique and interesting character. At 
a meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of Eng- 
land, presided over by H B H the Prince of Wales, 
it was resolved that, to mark the completion of half 
a century of continuous research in the Rothamsted 
station, some public recognition should be made of 
the invaluable services rendered to agriculture by Sir 
John Lawes and Dr. Gilbert. It was decided that 
the testimonial should take the form of (1) a granite 
memorial with a suitable inscription to be erected in 
the front of the laboratory at Harpenden ; (2) illnm!- 
nated addresses of congratulation ; (3) a portrait of 
Sir John Lawes painted by Mr Hubert Herkomer, R A, 
and a massive silver salver to Dr Gilbert, bearing tha 
following inscription : " Presented by the snbacribers 
to the Rotkamsted Jubilee Fund to Dr Joseph Henry 
Gilbert, F R S, in commemoration of the completion 
of fifty years of unremitting labour in the cause of 
Agricultural Science, July 29, 1893." The various pre- 
sentations were made, and the commemorative granite 
boulder was formally dedicated at a meeting of tha 
subscribers held at Harpenden on Saturday, July 29, 
1893. The Right Hon. Herbert Gardner, M.P., Presi- 
dent of the Board of Agriculture, presided, and there 
waa a large attendance of leading agriculturists, scien- 
tists, and others. 
The Lawes Agricultural Trust, established by the 
munificence of Sir John Lawes, provides that someone 
shall periodically visit the United States of America 
and give a series of lectures upon the results of the 
Rothamsted investigations. At the request of tha 
committee of management, Sir J Henry Gilbert Un- 
dertook this duty in 1893, and thus for the third time 
he visited the world beyond the Atlantic, his former 
visits having taken place in 1882 and 1884. 
The results of the Rothamsted researches are em- 
bodied in print in many forma in the records of the 
Royal Agricultural Society, the British Associatioa, 
the Chemical Society, the Royal Society, the Horti- 
cultural Society, the Society of Arts Journal, 
and the- Dublin Royal Society, In articles in 
technical newspapers, and in numerous reports, 
pamphlets, and letters to the general presa, 
too long for enumeration here, which, aa 
regards the agricultural history, progress, and liter- 
ature of the past sixty years are, we may con« 
fidently say, to be reckoned among the moat re^ 
markable achievements of the century. 
He was twice married, first in 1850 to Miss Laurie, 
daughter of Dr, Laurie, who died in 1853 : and after- 
wards in 1855, to Miss Smith, ^he present I^ady 
Gilbert ; leaver »9 tsaa^^ 
