434 Chronicles of Science. [July, 



daring that since Dr. Schneider commenced in that district, ten 

 years ago, as the agent of the Ehenish Agricultural Society, to lecture 

 on the principles of the so-called "Mineral theory," fifty-seven 

 depots of artificial manure have been established within an area of 

 twenty-five geographical (German) square miles, or nearly 340,000 

 acres. During 1863, 90,000 tons of artificial manure, more than 

 5 cwt. per acre over the whole of this area, were used ; and in con- 

 sequence of this habitual use of imported fertilizers, rents have 

 risen 20s. per acre, corresponding to an increased capital value of 

 10,000,000Z. over the whole district, or 301. per acre. This Liebig 

 considers " a proof that the state of agriculture in land is really 

 improving." And holding firmly to his previous declaration, that 

 owing to our waste of sewage, the fertility of Great Britain is 

 undergoing an exhaustion, he contrasts it with our average use of 

 guano and other imported fertilizers which he puts at 400,000 tons 

 per annum, or something less than 28 lbs. per acre. " This simple 

 fact shows," he says, " how very small, comparatively, is the aug- 

 mentation of the conditions of fertility in the English soil by the 

 importation of manure. On the other hand, the loss of manure 

 suffered by agriculture through the waste of the sewage is notorious, and 

 may be found far exceeding the amount made good by importation ; 

 and then the inevitable conclusion remains, that as a whole the soil 

 of England, instead of gaining, must actually decline in productive 

 power." It is impossible to avoid the conclusion to which Liebig's 

 previous writings lead, that there is a strong prejudice which warps 

 his mind in the case of any comparison of Germany and England. 

 His great proof of agricultural progress in Hesse is none other than 

 that dependence on supplies of fertilizing matter from without, which 

 has been more than once condemned by him, when alleged by English- 

 men as some explanation or palliation of their folly in the neglect 

 of their home supplies with which his letters on the sewage question 

 charge them. 



A little book on 'High Farming without Manure,'* has lately 

 been published, being an English translation of six lectures on Agri- 

 culture delivered by M. George Ville, at the experimental farm at 

 Vincennes. But the title, which would indicate a much easier so- 

 lution of our agricultural difficulties than either Liebig or his Hessian 

 model farmers could afford us, is not a correct designation of its con- 

 tents. M. Ville first recommends a thorough fertilization of the soil, 

 and thereafter the application, before every crop, of the special fer- 

 tilizer which he supposes it to need. This is nitrogen for cereals, 

 potash for beans and pease, and phosphates for roots. This, however, is 

 no new doctrine here. The English farmer has all along tried to 

 keep his land in good heart by an economical use of home resources, 

 and to these he adds guanos and nitrates for his grain-crops, and 

 bone-dust and phosphates for his root-crops. And so far from M. 

 Ville teaching " High farming without manure," his lectures are 

 specially directed to the maintenance of the general fertility of the 

 soil by the application of a compound and complete fertilizer ; and 

 * W. Olliver, 3, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row. 



