frequently held up to scorn and obloquy, and twisted and tortured until they were made to appear the teachings of the Evil One.

We have but to place side by side the artist whose employment has been to copy the works of nature, and the student who has enunciated her laws; or the modeller in stone, and the teacher of those truths which even stones reveal; and what a contrast do they afford! The labours of the one have been rewarded with a wreath of laurel, whilst a crown of thorns has ever fallen to the other's lot.

How is this phenomenon to be explained? Can it be and we make the inquiry with due appreciation of her elevating tendenciescan it be that the ways of Art are elastic and accommodating, and that without distinction of sect or creed, she has always been the servant of Theology, doing duty alike for Hebrew and Greek, Mahommedan and Christian, whilst Science has held aloof from all these denominations and has walked only with the religion taught by nature? Or is it that the truths of Science can only be understood and appreciated by the cultivated intellect, whilst the beauties of Art impress themselves the unaided sense?

upon

We refrain from pressing the inquiry further, lest it be imagined that we would seek to elevate our mistress at the expense of a sister, or that we are assuming a petulant tone and an attitude of hostility towards one with whom we desire to walk hand in hand, and to whom also our co-operation is daily becoming more indispensable.

Leaving our readers, then, to work out the problem for themselves as regards the past, we proceed to inquire whether the existing state of things holds out a more hopeful prospect to Science and her votaries; and here the replies are sufficiently plain and satisfactory.

A certain amount of scientific knowledge is now absolutely necessary to men of all ranks, and forms an essential element in a liberal education. The influence of scientific discovery is becoming daily more powerful, and is making itself felt in almost every vocation of life. Science not only succours the wounded on the battle-field, but without her powerful aid, bravery is of no avail in the General, nor in the ranks. The loud and fluent tongue of the pleader may seek to persuade, but without the unobtrusive evidence of the man of science it fails to convince. The tiller of the soil may labour unremittingly with his hands, and waste the sweat of his brow, but his neighbour looks on, smiling, and lets the steam-engine perform his work more speedily and at a smaller cost. And so it is everywhere,-in the factory or mine, in the university or schoolroom, in the world of pleasure as in the world of pain.

It is true that, for the moment, a few theologians and politicians are inclined to underrate her influence, and even in some instances to

close their ears to her teachings; but these are exceptional cases, and those who "waste their philosophic pains" in thus endeavouring to stem the tide of progress, will one day find themselves drifting alone down the current with which they might have sailed in the company of their fellow-travellers on the way to Truth.

Scientific knowledge is now eagerly sought, and its possessors are respected. Here and there a few impetuous workers or thinkers give utterance to tenets which shock the temperate and cautious, and lead the pious to believe that another golden calf is about to be set up for worship; but these are the exceptions, and compared with Theology and Politics, Science has but few extremists. As, however, her devotees are rather men of thought and action than of wordy eloquence, they are often less appreciated than the fruits of their labours, and thus it happens that the astute politician or the talented historian may edge his way on to the Treasury Bench, or arrive at the dignity of a Peerage, and the eloquent Theologian may succeed in reaping a Bishopric, whereas the able man of science whose labours have changed the destiny of nations, or who has given a new direction or a fresh impulse to the course of civilization, must content himself with a Knighthood, or declining that, must rest satisfied with the honourable letters affixed to his name by his fellow-labourers, and leave it to posterity to raise an enduring monument to his memory.

Still, as we have said, Science is beginning to exercise a potent influence in every circle of society, and not only does she reckon amongst her followers multitudes of the labouring classes (so many, indeed, that it has been found necessary to organize a special department and machinery in the State to aid them in the pursuit of this species of knowledge), but even lords and statesmen who had previously bestowed all their favours upon the nurseries of literature, are now beginning to cast tender glances upon Schools of Science, and other similar institutions. The discoveries of unwearying investigators, too, and the explorations of bold adventurers on the earth or sea, or in the air, are no longer published in ponderous tomes and modest "brochures," but find a rapid utterance in special periodicals, and even in the flying sheets of the daily press,-those great organs of public opinion without which no man can live the life of the nineteenth century.

Thus much by way of preface to the consideration of the present state of Scientific knowledge; but if, from a theme so noble and inspiring, we have been able to derive so little eloquence, what words shall we find to plead our own cause? As we approach the subject, we feel as does the candidate for public suffrage, who comes before the constituency primed with eloquent appeals and telling periods,

but who, when he sees the crowd of curious upturned faces, concealing tongues ready to applaud, but equally prompt to hiss, finds that his labelled sentences are gone, and with them his courage to seek fresh

ones.

Let us, then, be brief.

We have been told by men in every walk of life, that the time is come when Science may claim for herself a special organ; that not alone scientific readers, but those of every class, desire to approach the source from whence this species of knowledge is derived,—to learn in which direction the current flows, and how it is likely to affect their material interests or questions bearing upon their eternal happiness.

To supply such a want is a truly ambitious aim, and one which, we do not hesitate to confess, we should never have proposed to ourselves had we not been first assured of the co-operation of those whose powers alone are equal to its accomplishment.

With men illustrious in Science, ready to avail themselves of these pages as a medium of communication with the public, and to many of whom we acknowledge ourselves already indebted, both for friendly counsel and for active co-operation, we now set out, full of hope and confidence; and before giving place to those whose words will have much weight, and whose teachings cannot fail to exercise a beneficial influence, we invite our readers to advance a few paces with us, to an eminence from which we may be enabled to point out to them some of the more prominent farmsteads on the surrounding fields of Science, where the labourers are to-day busy sowing or reaping, enriching old, or winning new pastures.

This figurative remark naturally leads us to the consideration of one or two of the more prominent features in connection with the Science and practice of Agriculture as they are to-day presented to our notice; and, perhaps, no subject is more deserving of attention at our hands than the Drainage and Cultivation of land.

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It is, probably, unknown to the large majority of our readers, that a legislative enactment was passed, a few years since, called the Land Drainage Act," the object of which was to enable proprietors of arable and pasture land situated in valleys or level districts more effectually to drain such land by the acquisition of a convenient access to what are termed the arterial drains (the smaller streams and rivers); in fact, to give them what, in the railway world, would be called "running powers" for a drain through a neighbour's estate.

When they are informed that by improved drainage the rental of some kinds of land may be raised from 5s. or 68. to 40s., or even 508. an acre, whilst the poorer soils are capable of being enhanced four

fold, our readers will perceive this movement to be one of great practical importance. To do our English landowners and farmers justice, it would appear that they have always been willing to grant this accommodation to a neighbour, but, owing to the laws of entail and other conditions of society, this has been but a fleeting privilege, and should the obliging neighbour die, and be followed in the posses. sion of his estate by one less accommodating, the outlet might at any moment be blocked up or otherwise intercepted, and then the owner of the drained land would have no power to cause it to be cleared or reconstructed.

Several previous attempts had been made to remedy this evil by legislative enactments, all of which proved futile; but under the new Act (which appears to have objectionable as well as advantageous features) a local Board may now be formed, having power to assess a rural district precisely as in the case of a 66 commission of sewers.' The method by which it is intended to improve the drainage of land is by doing away with those mill-dams which interfere with the free current of an arterial drain, as well as through the utilization of others by which the flow is facilitated; by collecting and storing up surplus water, and preserving it for seasons of drought; and pumping stagnant water by mechanical power from low to high levels, and thence directing it into arterial drains. To attain these objects, it is requisite to secure the hearty co-operation of whole agricultural districts, and owners of land should not look to their own immediate interests alone, but should consider the welfare of their neighbours and posterity.

The promoters of such movements as these will find us ever ready to advocate their cause and give publicity to their reasonable suggestions.*

But good drainage alone is not a sufficient preparation of the soil for the reception of the parent seed; deep and constant furrowing are also requisite, and for this purpose steam is rapidly and advantageously superseding horse-power. The work is accomplished more efficiently and speedily, and there are descriptions of soil, and seasons when it would be absolutely ruinous to allow horses to tread the land whilst dragging the plough, whereas no obstacle whatever is opposed to steam traction. Indeed, the substitution of the latter for the former has, no doubt, frequently gained a season to the farmer, as his improved harvesting implements have saved him a valuable crop.

It is hardly needful to add, that with improved drainage and cultivation of the soil, the farmer secures more valuable produce. Light,

* Mr. J. Bailey Denton has been most active in bringing about improved drainage, and in procuring enactments for the purpose.

scanty grain gives place to the full rich ear, and succulent grasses and clovers supplant the poorer kinds; in fact, the "conditions of existence" are altered, and the weed no longer finds a genial bed. The soil prepared, we next come to the seed; and here, too, the agriculturist has enlisted science in his cause. Two attempts are being made to increase the produce of cereals: one by the use of what is termed "pedigree seed;" that is, a seed derived from repeated selections of the finest ears the original parent being an ear of great size -by artificial selection, in fact; the other by artificial fructification. Our limited space will not permit us to dwell upon either of these systems, which will probably be treated in detail hereafter by abler pens than ours; and we must refer to the farmer's last troublesave and except the conversion of his harvest into gold, in which process he stands in need of other speculations than those of scientific men-we mean the saving of his produce, or, we might almost say, the conquest of the elements.

The improvements which are daily taking place, to enable him to expedite and cheapen his harvest operations, deserve, and will receive a special place with us. The reaping and mowing machines which have been some time in use in America are now approaching perfection in England, and the haymaking machine has already rescued many a crop that would otherwise have been sacrificed. A little more speed; a few more applications of scientific principles; and the farmer may defy or wield the weather as he already manipulates and utilizes the soil.

But whilst the agriculturist turns with disfavour from the timehonoured running stream, and, pronouncing water-wheels a nuisance, calls in the aid of the steam-engine to every portion of his rapidlyprogressing work, a leading mechanician steps forward, and warns us of the necessity of economizing coal and of utilizing water-power, lest the supply of the former should become exhausted. In his opening address, the President of the British Association startled the world, and more especially the geological world, with the announcement, that should the consumption of coal increase at its present rate, two centuries only will be the duration of the supply from the North Country coal-field; and that, if no greater economy be exercised than at present, a hundred years will suffice to bring about this result.

Whatever may be the value of this speculation, its propounder has been led by the consideration of the subject to practical conclusions, perhaps not novel ones, but of great importance to the community, in regard to the present mode of employing this precious fuel. He has shown that improved machinery, a better arrangement of the fire