53 



remarked, embraces several branches of study. Most of 

 these had for some years previous, been more or less 

 pursued by a few of the graduates of the college, and by 

 others. Some had studied philology, philosophy, and 

 mathematics; there had been several scholars in the 

 laboratory. The only effect of the establishment of the 

 new department as to these, was, to give more system 

 to the instruction. There were no new professorships in 

 them. The professorship of practical chemistry was a 

 new one, and would have become an important depart- 

 ment, had not Prof. Silliman, Jr., been early called away 

 to a wider field, in the Medical College, at Louisville, 

 Ky. We shall, therefore, limit our subsequent remarks 

 to the single professorship of agricultural chemistry. 

 Indeed, the philosophical department, so far as it was 

 new, rested entirely upon that professorship. 



We are to speak now of the work which he 

 accomplished, in the few years of manhood a little 

 less than five years which were allotted to him. The 

 department of Agricultural Chemistry was to be created. 

 Tt was new in the country. It was doubtful whether 

 the public sentiment was strong enough to support it. 

 The external resources for such an undertaking were 

 sufficiently humble. The professorship was without a 

 salary, and no better laboratory could be furnished than 

 the wooden house on the college grounds, formerly 



