142 CHEMICO-AGRICULTURAL TOUR. 



the excess of nitrogenous matter being- converted directly into that 

 substance, as some have supposed, but that its constituents first 

 formed a portion of the tissues which, by their subsequent meta- 

 morphosis, furnished urea. 



3rd. Their experiments also showed that little or no nitrogen 

 passed off with the foeces, or with the product of respiration, but 

 that almost the whole evolved was contained in the urinary secre- 

 tion. 



From Munich I proceeded by rail to Frankfort-on-the-Maine, 

 going by Niirnberg. The greater part of the country along this 

 route, which lies almost entirely in the kingdom of Bavaria) is ex- 

 ceedingly flat and uninteresting, and presents nothing very pecu- 

 liar in its agriculture ; and from what I have seen and learnt of 

 Bavaria, its agricultural industry appears to be principally directed 

 to the cultivation of wheat, rye, barley and oats ; and, next to 

 grain crops, the vine and hop plant are amongst the most impor- 

 tant objects of cultivation, the latter being extensively grown for 

 its use in making the celebrated beer of that country. After leav- 

 ing Niirnberg, the country as we approached Frankfort became 

 more interesting, and was in some places highly picturesque, af- 

 fording several beautiful views along the line of the river Maine, 

 winding its course through wooded hills and fertile vales. 



From Frankfort I took a day's excursion to Giessen (the capital 

 of Upper Hesse, which is about forty-one miles by railway to the 

 north of that city, and is prettily situated on the river Lahn), as I 

 was very desirous of visiting the chemical laboratory of its univer- 

 sity, which has acquired such celebrity from the researches of 

 Baron Liebig and other distinguished chemists which have been 

 carried on there. Arriving at Giessen, I called on Professor Will, 

 who has succeeded Baron Liebig, as professor of chemistry to that 

 university. After having some conversation with him, he directed 

 his assistant chemist to conduct me through the laboratories and 

 chemical apartments of the university, as he was not himself very 

 well the day I called. In going through this department of the 

 university, I saw where Liebig had worked so successfully for a 

 number of years, and where some of the most distinguished chem- 

 ists of the day had studied under that great teacher of chemical 

 science ; also I was pointed out the apparatus with which some of 

 his most brilliant discoveries had been made, and many other 

 objects of considerable interest to the chemist. 



