NITROGEN : WHY AND WHERE CROPS MUST GET IT. 193 



to get convincing results. Many years later Lawes and Gilbert, 

 of Eno;land — whose work for the advancement of agiriculture is 

 known, respected, and impUcitly trusted wherever there are farmers 

 who read and think — associating with themselves the late Dr. Pugh, 

 who, after his return to this country from his studies in Europe, 

 broke himself down in his herculean efforts to build up an agricul- 

 tural college in Pennsjdvania, obtained results fully confirming 

 those of Boussingault. 



But it may be asked, If Boussingault had settled the question so 

 conclusively, what was the need of its being investigated again, 

 at such lavish expense and with such great care ? 



It was because, unfortunately, another man had meanwhile 

 attacked the difficult problem, and had reported results diametri- 

 cally opposite. This man was Georges Ville, a Frenchman, of 

 whose training as a chemist aud an investigator we have no very 

 satisfactorj- information. It is said that he was a watchmaker by 

 trade, and Napoleon III, in gratitude for political services ren- 

 dered, gave him the charge of an important agricultural institution 

 near Paris. 



He is a ready writer, and has given us a book on 

 manures, which has been translated and published in this country 

 as well as in England. The work contains many ideas that take 

 with the farmers, and there is reall}' much in it that is good for 

 them to read. A second edition of this work was issued a year 

 or two ago ; the attention of the author had been called to a num- 

 ber of errors in his first edition, so plain that he could not deny 

 that they were such ; 3'et he refused to allow them to be corrected, 

 insisting that the book should be published just as it was at first, 

 mistakes aud all. This little incident, related to me by Dr. 

 Gilbert when in this country a short time ago, shows how much 

 regard this investigator and agricultural instructor has for the 

 truth. % 



This work contains the doctrine of the assimilability of the free 

 nitrogen of the atmosphere ; and this makes the book popular, for 

 it is a popular doctrine with the average intelligent farmer who 

 gives any thought to the question of the nitrogen supply, and who 

 believes in the renovating virtue of clover. And there are some 

 who believe in the doctrine apparently because the}' think it ought 

 to be so. A prominent agricultural investigator, now in charge 

 of an important experiment station in this country, is recently 

 13 



