77 



How strangely does this language of a successful scho- 

 lar contrast with the assertions of later, not to say riper 

 chemists, who arrive at the most profound conclusions 

 with an astonishing facility, and, in advance of public 

 opinion, award to themselves the highest eulogiums. 



During his stay in Europe Mr. Norton studied with 

 Prof. Mulder at Utrecht, Holland, one of the greatest 

 physiologists and chemists of his day. His letters from 

 Holland are admirable pictures of the rural aspect of the 

 country. Upon his return to this country in the fall of 

 1847, he entered upon his duties at Yale. Though at- 

 tendance on the lectures in his department was volunta- 

 ry, and comparatively little attention had been paid to 

 agricultural chemistry by the young men in our colleges, 

 he soon gathered a class of students, which was gradually 

 increasing to the time of his death. His laboratory was in 

 fact the only place in this country where the principles of 

 science, as applied to agriculture, were thoroughly taught. 



The cares of his professorship were not his exclusive 

 occupation. A Treatise on Scientific Agriculture, which 

 was written as a prize essay, and took a premium of one 

 hundred dollars, offered by the New York State Agricul- 

 tural Society, and was subsequently published as a text 

 book for schools, was prepared by him in 1850. This 

 little work embodies all the fundamental principles of 

 agricultural science, so far as well established, and has 

 been widely circulated. 



