461 



C— (p. 133.) 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. 



The application of Chemistry to Agriculture is now attracting so 

 much attention both in Europe and in this country, that I feci I shall be 

 only in the way of my duty in giving an account of a recent work of 

 Liebig, one of the most eminent men in his profession as a chemist now 

 living. The work has created a great sensation abroad ; and an edition 

 with valuable notes has been published in this country by Professor 

 Webster of Harvard University. This notice may draw attention to 

 the subject, which cannot fail to issue in good. It has already been 

 mainly given in the North American Review ; but as that work is like- 

 ly to reach but few farmers, and as I designed originally that it should 

 appear here, I make no apology for presenting it. 



Organic Chemistry in its applications to Agriculture and Physiology : 

 By Justus Liebig, M. D., Ph. D., F. R. S., M. R. I. A., &c. Profess- 

 or of Chemistry in the University of Giessen. First American Edi- 

 tion, ivith an Introduction, Notes and Apjoendix, hy John W. Webs- 

 ter, M. D., Professor of Chemistry in Harvard University. 



This Treatise makes a contribution to the cause of an improved ao-ri- 

 culture, of extraordinary value. It has been received with great inte- 

 rest in England, and will be i-ead with equal eagerness by a large por- 

 tion of our own people. Intelligent minds among us are everywhere 

 awake to the immense and universal importance of the subject to which 

 it relates. 



The perfection of agriculture, as an art, implies the obtaining the 

 greatest amount of pi'oduct from the earth, with the least injury to the 

 land, and at the least cost of labor. It has been often remarked, that 

 the actual productive powers of an acre of land have never yet been 

 fully tested ; the maximum of product has not been reached. Magnificent 

 and surprising results have been attained ; but in no case can it be said 

 with confidence that more might not have been effected. In general, 

 the agricultural art falls far below the condition of productiveness and 

 improvement which it might obviously attain ; and the aversion among 

 farmers to change their established habits, and the slowness with which 



