PREFACE. 



WHEN the present work was first undertaken there 

 were but few works in English dealing with its 

 subject-matter, and hardly any which dealt with 

 the question of Manuring at any length. During 

 the last few years, however, owing to the greatly 

 increased interest taken in agricultural education, 

 the demand for agricultural scientific literature has 

 called into existence quite a number of new works. 

 Despite this fact, the author ventures to believe that 

 the gap which the present treatise was originally de- 

 signed to fill is still unfilled. 



Of the importance of the subject all interested in 

 agriculture are well aware. It is no exaggeration to 

 say that the introduction of the practice of artificial 

 manuring has revolutionised modern husbandry. In- 

 deed, without the aid of artificial manures, arable 

 farming, as at present carried out, would be impos- 



