TO THE FARMER. d 



be brought about by natural forces, whose existence 

 was unknown until revealed by chemistry, especially 

 in the circle of the operative arts, were so self-evident, 

 that here a door was opened for it almost at once. 

 And although sound practical knowledge regarded 

 its occasionally rather unsubstantial and high-flown 

 theories at first with some distrust, a closer acquaint- 

 ance with it has now changed those misgivings into 

 entire confidence, and led to a thorough union and 

 reconciliation of both. 



In the most recent times chemistry has strenuous- 

 ly applied itself to the investigation of the essential 

 or constituent elements of the organized bodies of 

 plants and animals, and to an examination of the 

 circumstances which befall them during life, and like- 

 wise after death. Of what do these bodies consist? 

 Whence do they acquire their component parts, their 

 means of sustenance ? What changes must the lat- 

 ter undergo in the living organisms of animals and 

 plants, in order to produce their nourishment and 

 growth ? How can we accelerate this growth ? 

 Such, in the main, are the inquiries which chemical 

 research tasks itself to answer. 



From these and similar investigations, may we 

 then, in sober truth, expect to derive real advantage 

 in the field of practical agriculture ? Chemists and 

 many agriculturists, especially such of the latter 

 as are acquainted with chemical science, are fully 

 convinced that this may be anticipated ; from other 

 quarters, on the contrary, doubts, at one time feebler, 



