144 CHEMICO-AGRICULTURAL TOUR. 



the town, commanding a very fine view of the valley of the Rhine 

 and the surrounding country. The director of the college was not 

 there when I called, and I was unfortunately unable, in his absence, 

 to see the interior of that institution. I walked, however, about 

 the garden and grounds connected with the school, and saw the 

 different vegetables and crops grown there, and their methods of 

 cultivating them. A very excellent practice is there adopted of 

 illustrating on the farm the various systems of agriculture practised 

 in different countries, by which means the pupils of this institution 

 are very clearly shown wherein they differ from each other, and 

 are themselves enabled to judge of their comparative merits. 

 There is a good garden and nursery, as well as a large piece of 

 ground, devoted to experiments on various seeds and plants, where 

 I saw, amongst other vegetables, a large variety of different kinds 

 of potatoes growing in great luxuriance. I understand that in this 

 college, courses of lectures on the following subjects, viz, on nat- 

 ural history, mineralogy, botany, zoology, technology, veterinary 

 surgery, the theory of agriculture, and agricultural book-keeping, 

 are delivered, which constitute a part of the curriculum of instruc- 

 tion communicated in this institution, which can be easily com- 

 pleted by the students in three winter half-years. As to the sum- 

 mers embraced during that period, these they are recommended to 

 spend on some of the best managed farms in the neighborhood, in 

 order to acquire a more thorough knowledge of practical agricul- 

 ture ; and, with this view they are generally boarded in the 

 summer with some of the best farmers of the district. 



Before leaving Weisbaden, I paid a visit to the chemical labora- 

 tory of Dr. Fresenius, which is situated in a fine open part of the 

 town, and is in connection with the residence of that gentleman to 

 whom it belongs. I was not fortunate enough to find Dr. Fresen- 

 ius there when I called, as he was absent from Wiesbaden. One 

 of his assistants, however, very kindly conducted me all through 

 the different laboratories, apparatus-rooms, and other apartments 

 connected with this institution, the object of which is, to give 

 instruction in the principles and practice of chemical science to 

 those who are either intending to make chemistry their profession, 

 or are desirous of acquiring a general knowledge of that science, 

 as an auxiliary in the pursuit of other professions. In this school 

 of chemical science, the different laboratories, and the compartments 

 in each, are so well arranged, that every student may work sepa- 



