50 Years Ago

By the time the lunar samples brought back by Apollo 11 have been wrung dry of scientific information, the second American expedition to the Moon will have already been mounted … [T]he next landing will be at one of the two sites in the eastern hemisphere which have been chosen as smooth enough for a landing … This way by the end of the year NASA will have recovered samples of typical mare regions in both the eastern and western hemispheres of the visible face of the Moon. What the Apollo 12 astronauts … will be instructed to look out for will depend on the first-hand descriptions of the surface radioed by Armstrong and Aldrin on Monday morning (BST) and on preliminary analyses of the samples … Armstrong’s first description that “the surface appears to be very finely grained as you get close to it, it’s almost like powder” matches the Surveyor results which point to a matrix made up of finely divided particles sometimes aggregated in lumps.

From Nature 26 July 1969

100 Years Ago

The possibility of growing New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) on a commercial scale in the British Isles has for many years been under consideration, and the publication of an important paper on the subject … is of considerable interest… The article, which mainly consists of an account of Lord Ventry’s successful experiments in co. Kerry, is illustrated by several photographs of New Zealand flax under cultivation in Ireland showing a remarkably vigorous growth … It is pointed out in the article that only certain parts of the United Kingdom are suitable for the growth of New Zealand flax … but as the results so far obtained are promising, it is to be hoped that every encouragement will be given to the enterprise.

From Nature 24 July 1919