316 
AMMUNITION OF ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD. 
would become almost a second nature,, and that both officers and 
non-commissioned officers would then not only be able, but eager to 
obtain at decisive moments the full power of their weapon; they would 
not, in fact, be satisfied with meagre results more worthy of an ill-armed 
and unskillful service than one of which has a reputation to maintain. 
Among the many valuable results which must be obtained by the 
increased facilities about to be given for the practice of batteries, it 
may fairly be hoped that experiment in practical directions will be 
one. Where such a divergence of opinion obtains as in the question 
under discussion, two batteries* practice would be worth reams of paper. 
Let one have the service, the other the proposed armament; let the 
targets be as closely resembling actual objects as possible, and let both 
imitate, by an enforced rapidity of fire, the hurry and excitement of 
service. The results, even if they did not convince either side, would 
at least throw light on the subject, and could not but be of great 
practical value. 
St. John’s Wood Barracks, 
September 14th, 1880. 
