The Rothamsted Agricultural Experimemts. 171 
fertilisation takes place. This in fact we must conclude from 
observational evidence takes place in both the primrose and in the 
cowslip. 
THE ROTHAMSTED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 
HOUGH Rothamsted is a household word to agriculturalists all 
the world over, and the value of its long series of experiments 
are doubtless fully appreciated, it may be questioned if botanists in 
general are fully aware of the importance and extent of the purely 
botanical aspects of the work that is being carried on at the station 
for scientific experiments in agriculture founded more than sixty 
years ago by the late Sir (then Mr.) John Bennet Lawes on his 
estate close to the little town of Harpenden in Hertfordshire. 
The history of the station is briefly as follows. In the year 1843 
Mr. Lawes, who had succeeded to the Rothamsted property in 1834 
and being of a chemical turn of mind had already experimented with 
various chemical manures and obtained excellent results with 
“ superphosphates ” for turnips, results which had led him to patent 
their manufacture in 1842, started the systematic series of experi¬ 
ments which have been continued down to the present day. He 
seems to have been partly spurred thereto by the lectures of Liebig 
delivered at the Royal Institution. Liebig taught that plants derived 
not only their carbon but also their nitrogen from the atmosphere, 
and on this he founded his doctrine of mineral manuring, or the 
putting back into the soil of the ash constituents which the plant 
has taken from it. Lawes found that this theory did not square 
with his practical experience, and selecting certain fields from his 
estate, and devoting a barn to the purposes of an agricultural 
laboratory, began the great series of experiments which have been 
carried on continuously from 1843 till the present day. 
In that year also Lawes obtained the services of Dr. (afterwards 
Sir) Henry Gilbert to take charge of the laboratory, and Gilbert re¬ 
mained as Chief Chemist and Director till his death in 1901. So long 
ago as 1854, a number of leading agriculturalists, desiring to shew 
their appreciation of the work, presented Lawes with the present 
laboratory, and the work of several chemical and general assistants 
was from an early date involved in carrying out the routine work of 
analysing soil samples and ash constituents. In 1889 Sir John 
Lawes with far-sighted munificence set aside a trust fund of £100,000 
as well as the 50 acres or so of experimental ground, and the 
