ROYAL AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, CIRENCESTER. 507 
tlie structure of the earth in which they live. His geological knowledge 
was also great, and those who had accompanied him in his rambles would 
say that it was a delightful thing, and that he was just the man to infuse 
that knowledge into the minds of the young. He therefore proposed the 
healtli of Mr. Buckman, Professor of Botany and Geology in the Royal 
Agricultural College (loud cheers, with one cheer more for i\irs. Buckman). 
Professor Buckman^ who was received with loud cheers, said: Mr. 
chairman and friends, I think I might have spoken well but for that last 
cheer. I thank you heartily for that cheer, for it reminds me forcibly 
that my wife has become attached to this place, and, like me, she does 
not want to leave it. However, gentlemen, we must not always look at 
what we want ourselves. In all probability we may come to conclusions 
that what we want is not always proper for us; and I for one am quite 
ready to bow to the decrees of Providence in this matter. I have been 
chosen as the first to return thanks to you for this great kindness because 
I have been at the college a longer period than the rest of the professors— 
because, also, I number a few years more than they do; and, gentlemen, 
when I come to put this and that together, I find that one third of my 
years, and the best of them, have been spent in Cirencester, and in the 
service of the college. (Cheers.) I came to the college Avithin about two 
years after its foundation, and I should have been there at its very com¬ 
mencement, but I did not do so for a reason I will explain to you. I 
came to Cirencester as a candidate for one of the first professorships at 
the express wish of Mr. Holland, who was always a very kind friend to 
me. However, I found a man applying for the very appointment for 
which I sought who was out of health, and, as I knew, a much better 
man than I, and who wished to live at Cirencester. I went at once to 
Mr. Holland and said, “I cannot any longer be a candidate.” He 
thanked me for my candour, and said the next vacancy should be offered 
to me. I came in two years afterwards at the express wish of the autho¬ 
rities—(cheers)—without making any application for the appointment. 
I was specially appointed as the professor of geology and of botany, and 
that post I have held for a very great number of years. However, I 
need not tell some of you that we have have had troubles in the college 
and its management before this. I shall not dwell upon them ; but it is 
right I should tell you this, because it is said that as professors we have 
done all we could to do mischief We desire to be friends of the college, 
and we desire nothing better than to spend our lives for and in its ser¬ 
vice. (Cheers.) I want to tell you that there Avas a time of trouble at 
the college, Avhen the students dwindled down to ten. A ncAV arrange¬ 
ment took place; a neAv principal came; and the whole of these ten 
resided in my house in Thomas Street. The college then had one stu¬ 
dent, and to that one student the new principal came. He Avas appointed 
to establish a school, and that one student Avas the only scholar there. 
The late Robert BroAvn—than whom a greater friend the college never 
had—(he was the founder of it)—came to me, and Ave had an earnest talk 
about it. He said, “ Do you think the college is ruined ? Cannot it go 
on ? Is it obliged to be made a school ?” “ Sir,” I replied, “ you may 
found a school when the college is prosperous, but you can never make a 
school out of a ruined college.” What, is it ruined,” he said. “ No,” 
I replied, “ if we have proper management, and I believe we shall now 
have proper management.” I shoAved him that the carrying on of the 
college could not be more expensive than carrying on a school. “ Well,” 
said he, “we will still carry on the college system.’^ You know Avith 
what success it Avas carried on. We lectured day after day to ten or 
eleven students, and in an incredibly short space of time they got on to 
