Samuel William Johnson. 405 



SAMUEL WILLIAM JOHNSOK 



The prominent chemist and teacher, and the most eminent 

 figure in American agricultural chemistry, died at his home in 

 New Haven on July 21stJ 1909, in the 80th year of his age. 

 Professor Johnson was born of Connecticut ancestry at Kings- 

 boro, N. Y., July 3d, 1830, and spent his youth on his father's 

 large and prosperous farm in Deer River, Lewis Co., in the 

 same state. 



His early education" was obtained in the common schools 

 and at Lowville Academy. It was at the latter institution 

 that he became interested in scientific subjects, and his enthu- 

 siasm for chemistry led him to equip a laboratory at his home, 

 where, guided only by his books, he pursued a systematic 

 course in analytical chemistry — a very remarkable achieve- 

 ment for one so young. 



At this period, when about 17 years old, his first recorded 

 article, " On Fixing Ammonia," was published in the Culti- 

 vator. This was prophetic of his future career, and it was 

 followed in later years by a great many important writings for 

 the benefit of the farming community. 



After having taught for two winters in district schools, Mr. 

 Johnson, at the age of 18, began his long career in the teach- 

 ing of science. He taught natural sciences for a year at the 

 Flushing Institute, Long Island, and two years later he spent 

 a winter as instructor in the same subjects at the New York 

 State Normal School at Albany. 



Meanwhile, in 1850, he had entered the Yale Scientific 

 School, with which he was soon to be permanently connected, 

 and studied chemistry, particularly the agricultural branch of 

 the science, with Professors John P. Norton and Benjamin 

 Silliman, Jr. During this period of study in New Haven, cov- 

 ering about eighteen months, he published two mineralogical 

 notes in this Journal the first of his many publications here, 

 and also wrote two articles for the Cultivator, the title of one 

 of them, " Agricultural Education," being very significant of 

 his interests at that time. 



In January, 1853, he went to Germany, where he spent two 

 years in study at Leipsic and Munich with the celebrated 

 scientists Erdmann, Liebig, von Kobell, and Pettenkofer. 

 During his stay in Germany he published in the Journal fur 

 proJdische Chernie several articles and notes relating to his 

 chemical investigations. This work was in pure chemistry, 

 rather than on the agricultural side of it, and during his after 

 life he took a deep interest in the strict science and made 

 numerous contributions to it. 



Leaving Germany early in 1855, he went to England and 



Am. Jour. Sci.— Fourth Series, Vol. XXVIII, No. 166.— October, 1909. 

 27 



