PREFACE 



TO THE FOURTH REVISION. 



As " The Chemistry of the Farm " is now pretty 

 widely known, and has been translated into several 

 languages, a few words as to its origin will perhaps 

 be of interest. 



It is probably not generally known that the present 

 work was originally undertaken by Sir J. B. Lawes. 

 It was in the summer of 1878 that the late Mr. J. 

 Chalmers Morton began to make arrangements for 

 the preparation of a little Handbook of Agriculture 

 for the use of Schools. The book he desired was to 

 be similar to the *' notes which a sharp lad would 

 take home from a course of lectures." It was in- 

 tended to be the work of several writers, and Sk 

 J. B. Lawes was asked, and undertook, to contribute 

 the part relating to the scientific application of 

 manures. In November, 1878, Sir J. B. Lawes 

 asked me to take his place in writing the chemical 

 part of the proposed book ; and he, at the same time, 

 handed me the notes which he had already prepared. 

 My contributions were first printed in ** The Agri- 

 cultural Gazette," and appeared at intervals during 

 1879-80. The work had then grown far beyond the 

 limits originally assigned, and was finally published in 

 1881 as a separate volume. 



" The Chemistry of the Farm " has doubled in size 

 during the twenty-one years that have elapsed since 

 its original publication. The alterations that have 



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