THE ROTHAMSTED CENTENARY

Abstract

IN spite of the difficulties arising out of the War, an impressive gathering assembled at Rothamsted on July 21 to take part in the commemoration of its hundred years of uninterrupted work in agricultural science. There have been several similar occasions in the history of the Station, when the leading figures in the agricultural world, have been glad to testify to the value of its activities. The first was in 1855, when a new laboratory building was formally handed over to Lawes and Gilbert as a testimonial from British farmers in recognition of twelve years pioneering work. The second was the jubilee of the Rothamsted Experiments, celebrated in 1893, when the experiments, having completed fifty years, had left their mark not only on home farming but also on settled agriculture over a much wider area. Now, after the passage of a further fifty years, we were witnessing another ceremony-not, of course, on the international scale which would have been appropriate in normal times, but none the less a very outstanding demonstration of the high regard in which the past and present work of the Station is held in scientific and agricultural circles. Lord Radnor, chairman of the Lawes Agricultural Trust, presided, and the Right Hon. R. S. Hudson, Minister of Agriculture, received a special welcome from, the three hundred guests representing various scientific societies and all sides of the agricultural and allied industries. Reprbsentatives, diplomatic, scientific and agricultural, from twenty-eight countries were present.