amsted field 
experiments 
808 = 542 Influence of Chemical Discoveries on 
to tlisciiminate between purely theoretical speculations ai 
carefully ascertained scientific facts ; quick to appreciate tl 
value of scientific inquiries, the results of which are likely 
find application in agriculture ; and ready at once to car 
into practice those suggestions of the man of science whit 
promise to lead to practically useful results. 
The applications of chemistry to the cultivation of the so 
cropping, rearing and fattening of stock, and general far 
practice, are so numerous, that, without exceeding the limits 
a necessarily concise report, it is impossible to give anythil 
like a full account, even in outline only, of the labours 
English agricultural chemists in connection with the progri 
of agriculture since 1860. 
Value of Roth- The reader has only to refer to the volumes of the Ro 
Agricultural Society's ' Journal ' published since 1860, in oi 
to perceive how utterly impossible it is to condense with utilil 
into a brief report the most prominent results embodied in tl 
contributions to its pages by agricultural chemists. Messf 
Lawes and Gilbert's papers in the Society's ' Journal ' fro 
1860 to 1876, giving accounts of their laborious scientil 
labours, and long-continued highly important field experiment! 
alone occupy the space of several goodly volumes, and there 
not one of Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert's invaluable contributi 
to scientific agriculture which has not had a more or less dii 
influence upon the progress of British agriculture. For t! 
information of French agriculturists who may not have se( 
M. Ronna's work, it may be stated, in passing, that this gend 
man has lately published in French, in one large volum 
an admirable account of the Rothamsted chemico-agricultur 
researches. 
Instead of a dry and systematic account of the progress 
chemistry in its application to agricultural practice since 186 
I will endeavour to illustrate by some examples in what w 
the application of chemical knowledge to the cultivation 
the land, systems of cropping, the fattening of stock, and t 
industries connected with some farms, has borne good fruits 
England since 1860. 
I 
CHAPTEE I. 
The Soil. 
Beginning with the soil, it may be observed that although o 
knowledge of the inherent agricultural capabilities of differe 
classes of soils is still very far from being perfect, the research 
of chemists since 1860 have brought to light important fac 
which have led to improvements in the cultivation of the land 
I 
