The Neglect of Chemistry hy Practical Farmers. 41 1 



present race of farmers, taking them as a class (for, of course, 

 there are many exceptions), have acquired no habits of literary 

 occupation, and that some of them even look down upcni those 

 who so far forget the "good old ways" as to show any desire 

 to make themselves acquainted with the strange facts that are 

 every day being announced. That this is not wholly an ima- 

 ginary statement, I think may be deduced from the fact, that 

 the prize for the best system of farming accounts offered by this 

 Society was obliged to be withheld on account of the want of 

 merit among the competitors ; and where figures are at such a 

 discount, a corresponding deficiency in other departments of 

 literature is naturally implied. 



This, I fear, presents an almost insurmountable obstacle to the 

 rapid advance of scientific research among the present generation 

 of farmers ; for although most of them are ready to take advan- 

 tage of any practical discoveries that may from time to time be 

 made, they necessarily find it, at their time of life, difficult to 

 apply themselves to the study of a new science requiring all the 

 energies of youth. But even among those who have been so 

 fortunate as to have received a good education in their youth, an 

 idea sometimes prevails, that it would be quite useless for them 

 to attempt to master the principles of such a mysterious science 

 as chemistry, particularly when they read the hard names that 

 are applied to the various substances, so different to anything that 

 they have been accustomed to heretofore. I need not say that this 

 fear is perfectly groundless, as a very short trial on their part 

 would prove to their own satisfaction. 



I now come to consider another cause, which has had great 

 influence in deterring many, who otherwise w^ere quite willing, 

 from pursuing their inquiries on this interesting subject, and has 

 placed a powerful weapon in the hands of those who are advocates 

 for the "good old ways." I refer here to the subject-matter 

 contained in 



Cause 2 — viz. : " The rash assertions made by chemists and the 

 friends of progress, without first having determined whether such 

 assertions are practically correct, or based on solid foundations." 

 Under this head I fear I must include Liebig himself, the father 

 of agricultural chemistry ; for the practical failure of his patent 

 manure caused a reaction in the minds of farmers against the 

 teachings of chemistry, almost as strong as the feelings which his 

 original work, together with the introduction of guano, had raised 

 in its favour. If, instead of telling farmers that he had discovered 

 the grand panacea for farming, whereby they would be enabled to 

 grow any crop on any ground, and as often as they liked, he had 

 said " The deduction that I draw from my scientific researches is, 

 that the inorganic portion of a crop is tlie only part necessary to 



