the more important of them, and briefly state the theoretical con- 

 clusions to which they lead the praiseworthy investigator. Hap- 

 pily he did not confine his experiments to the laboratory, nor to 

 the practical tests of a few flower-pots or a slip of garden land, 

 but conducted them on a large scale in a truly philosophical man- 

 ner in the field. Although, we believe, he mistook the causes of 

 the advantages of burnt clay, his labours have advanced scientific 

 agriculture in no small degree, and contributed much to the more 

 general application of this valuable manure. They also afford 

 some data to succeeding investigators, who are happier in their 

 conclusions. The result at which Lampadius arrived, by numerous 

 well premeditated and carefully executed experiments, may be 

 briefly thus stated : Properly burnt clay acts on a variety of crops 

 as on wheat, barley, oats, green crops, and particularly on potatoes 

 as a most valuable manure. One of his experiments will serve 

 sufficiently for illustration ; and without entering into further 

 details, it may be observed that few experiments have recently been 

 recorded which possess more intrinsic value, and that few men 

 were better fitted to submit the alleged effects of burnt clay to a 

 severer test than Lampadius. Not only his extensive theoretical 

 chemical knowledge and practical acquaintance with analysis, but 

 also his acquaintance with practical farm operations, his physiolo- 

 gical and meteorological knowledge, his acute talent of observation, 

 adaptation, circumspection, and general skill in devising plans and 

 carrying them out in a truly philosophical spirit, peculiarly fitted him 

 for the task he had undertaken. We thus find him testing the 

 results of the laboratory by experiments on a small scale, and 

 these by others in the field. The physical characters of the soil 

 on which the experiments were made were carefully described, its 

 geological formation on which it rests specified, and its chemical 

 composition ascertained by analysis ; the preceding crops, fur- 

 ther, grown on it for several years back were noted down. Be- 

 sides this, the quantity of rain fallen during the season, the tem- 

 perature, height of the barometer, and general state of the weather, 

 the condition of the crop, from the beginning of the germination of 

 the seed to the period of its maturity, were carefully recorded. The 

 produce, in every case, was ascertained in exact numbers obtained 

 by means of balance and measure ; and lastly, the composition of 

 the produce was determined by analysis, in order to decide the in- 

 feriority or superiority of the same crop grown with different 

 manuring substances. In addition to all this, minutes were kept 

 of all the incidents which might have affected the ultimate results; 

 and thus data are supplied which render his experiments valuable 

 for all ages. 



The experiment which we shall choose for an example \v#s made 

 on exhausted land, from which, in 1829, a crop of winter rye, and 

 in 1830 and 1831 oats, were grown. The nature and composition 

 of the land was previously ascertained, as well as that, o the seed- 



