Notes , Communications  and  Reviews. 
367 
this  number  of  the  Journal  to  take  particular  notice  of  the  good 
example  set  by  the  agriculturists  of  that  county.  Without 
any  aid  from  public  funds,  local  or  imperial,  the  landowners 
and  farmers  in  general  have  established  a fully  equipped  farm 
for  the  purpose  of  experiment  and  research.  Among  these 
enterprising  gentlemen  we  must  specially  refer  to  Mr.  Sancroft 
Holmes,  who  has  been  indefatigable  in  advancing  the  cause, 
and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  without  his  determined  effort 
little  could  have  been  accomplished.  On  the  holding  which 
has  been  acquired  very  valuable  and  interesting  work  can  be 
carried  out. 
The  agriculturists  themselves  are  the  proprietors  and  con- 
sequently have  the  greatest  interest  in  the  concern.  There 
being  no  lay  public  to  worry  the  authorities  for  hurried  results 
and  hasty  reports,  the  investigations  can  be  carried  on  with 
patience  and  perseverance.  Any  mistakes  that  occur,  being 
made  by  the  practical  agriculturist  and  not  by  some  unhappy 
official,  will  be  taken  to  heart  and  the  lessons  from  them  more 
thoroughly  learnt.  Furthermore  the  interest  aroused  by  the 
pride  of  proprietorship  must  lead  to  the  work  being  more 
thoroughly  studied  and  to  the  results  obtained  being  more 
thoroughly  known.  An  active  member  of  the  Committee  has 
favoured  us  with  the  following  account. 
“ On  the  occasion  of  the  annual  show  of  the  Norfolk  Agri- 
“ cultural  Association  in  1906,  attention  was  drawn  by  one  of 
“ the  speakers  at  the  luncheon  to  the  fact  that  whilst  the 
“ Association  had  been  eminently  successful  in  promoting  the 
“ interests  of  breeders  of  first  class  stock,  in  securing  magnificent 
“ exhibits  of  machinery,  and  in  accumulating  a handsome  sum 
“ as  a reserve  fund,  it  had  in  his  opinion  not  exhausted  all  its 
“ opportunities  of  usefulness.  Something  he  suggested  should 
“ be  done  in  the  interests  of  the  small  farmer  to  bring  the 
“ expert  knowledge  of  the  few,  and  mainly  the  larger  farmers, 
“ to  the  great  majority  of  the  farming  community,  who  could 
“ not  afford  to  be  exhibitors,  and  who  had  little  if  any  know- 
“ ledge  of  science,  or  modern  research  ; he  further  suggested 
“ that  some  of  the  surplus  funds  of  the  Association  might 
“advantageously  be  applied  with  the  object  of  establishing 
“ an  agricultural  bureau  and  office  of  information,  available  to 
“ the  whole  county.  The  idea  was  warmly  supported  by  the 
“ Press ; the  Agricultural  Department  at  Cambridge  gave 
“ valuable  advice  ; the  Board  of  Agriculture  sympathy  ; the 
“ general  public  expressed  criticism,  not  to  say  marked 
“ scepticism  as  to  its  irsefulness.  At  a county  meeting  con- 
“ vened  to  consider  the  matter  in  March,  1908,  a scheme  for 
“ the  establishment  in  Norfolk  of  an  agricultural  station  and 
“ bureau  was  approved.  It  was  then  pointed  out  that  in  that 
