138 



LIEBIG'S CHEMISTRY. 



farmers of the United States. " I address 

 myself," he observes, to the youthful and 

 aspiring agriculturists of the country, who 

 seek to elevate their noble profession to its 

 first rank among human pursuits ; and who 

 feel that the exercise of intellect, as well 

 as of muscle, is indispensable to the ac- 

 complishment of their purpose." 



This volume of Agricultural Botany may 

 be considered a pocket manual for the far- 

 mer, who desires to make himself acquaint- 

 ed with all the principal trees, shrubs, cul- 

 tivated plants, wild plants and weeds, with- 

 in his usual range. The author declares 

 it as his intention, in this work, not to de- 

 scribe all the plants that an accomplished 

 agriculturist would wish to know, but to 

 " include those only of which no intelligent 

 farmer would willingly be ignorant." 



The arrangement of the work is accord- 

 ing to the natural system. It differs mainly 

 from other botanical manuals, in having, 

 besides the scientific description of each 

 plant, some remarks of a popular character 

 relating to its habits, mode of culture, its 

 introduction if naturalized, or perhaps the 

 means of subduing it if a troublesome weed, 

 all of which is written with the sagacity, 

 spirit and observation, which we should 

 have expected from the author. 



Chemistry in its applications to Agriculture and 

 Physiology, bj' Justus Liebig, M. D., F. R. S., 

 Edited ^t/LyonPlayfair, Ph. D., and Dr. Wm. 

 Gregory. From the/ourth London edition, re- 

 vised and enlarged. New- York. Wiley and 

 Putnam. 12mo. 401 pp. 75 cts., or bound in 

 muslin $1. 

 It is quite unnecessary that we should enter 

 into any laudatory criticism of this remark- 

 able work, which has made for its learned 

 and scientific author so wide a reputation. 

 It is sufficient to say that its publication 

 commenced a new era in scientific agricul- 

 ture, begot a whole series of volumes on 



rural chemistry, which are, for the most 

 part, indifferent imitations, and is at the 

 present moment the text book of almost 

 every zealous experimenter in the culture 

 of the soil. Success so great, in any walk, 

 always excites open opposition, and not un- 

 frequently violent detraction from those of 

 the old rank and file, who find themselves 

 eclipsed by the glories of the new leader. 

 Liebig and his views have accordingly been 

 assailed, both in Germany and England, 

 with no little severity. While these attacks 

 have not in the least weakened the author 

 or his works in popular favor, they have, 

 very properly had an influence upon some 

 points of doctrine originally advanced by 

 the distinguished Professor at Giessen. 

 The following remarks, from the preface of 

 the present volume, will therefore be read 

 with interest : 



" Many views and principles which I had 

 endeavored to develop in reference to nu- 

 trition, and especially to the cultivation of 

 vegetables, were strongly opposed, imme- 

 diately on the first appearance of this work. 

 I could not, however, resolve to make any 

 material change in the immediately suc- 

 ceeding edition, because I did not consider 

 the scientific investigation of the important 

 questions at issue as completed, and because 

 I thought that I ought to trust the decision 

 of them to experience alone. 



" Many of the objections were founded 

 on a want of mutual understanding ; others 

 related to positions and assertions having 

 no connexion with the peculiar objects 

 of the book. I have set these aside by the 

 omission of all passages thus called in ques- 

 tion. 



"In the three years which have elapsed 

 between this edition and the first, I have 

 not neglected any opportunity of subjecting 

 to a rigorous and careful examination the 

 principles which I had developed of the 



