NOTES OF A CHEMICO-AGRICULTURAL TOUR, 



Made principally through portions of France, Germany and Belgium, in the summer 



of 1861. By Edmund Wm. Davy, Professor of Agriculture and 



Agricultural Chemistry to the Royal Dublin Society. 



In conformity with the recommendation of the Department of 

 Science and Art, I went during the summer of the past year on a 

 chemico-agricultural tour to the Continent, with a view of visiting 

 some of the principal schools of agriculture, and learning the na- 

 ture of the instruction given in those institutions ; I also hoped to 

 obtain some information as to the manner in which different crops 

 are cultivated abroad ; and finally, by inspecting, and if possible 

 studying for a short time in some of the most celebrated conti- 

 nental labratories, gain some information which would be useful 

 in the instruction of my labratory classes in chemico-agricultural 

 analyses. 



Proceeding by London, I called on Drs. Graham and Hofmann, 

 from whom I gained some useful information relative to my intend- 

 ed tour, and by the recommendation and introduction of the former 

 gentleman, before leaving for the Continent, I paid a visit to Ro- 

 thamstead, where, as is well known, Mr. Lawes and Dr. Gilbert 

 carry on very extensive researches connected with the chemistry 

 of practical agriculture. 



I was courteously received by Dr. Gilbert, who most kindly 

 showed me Mr. Lawes' chemical labratory, and took mo over his 

 experimental farm. I was greatly pleased with the neatness of the . 

 well-constructed labratory, and with the completeness of all the 

 arrangements for carrying on the important investigations in con- 

 nexion with agriculture which Mr. Lawes and Dr. Gilbert have 

 been, and still are, engaged in. On the experimental farm, where 

 experiments have been conducted with the greatest care for a 

 series of years, with various natural and artificial manures, on a 

 considerable scale, the appearance of the diflerent crops, even so 

 early as the latter end of May, when I saw them, was sufficient to 



