New-York tribune., 1871-12-15
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE
INTERVIEW WITH A DISTINGUISHED
CHEMIST

VIEWS or BARON Won LIEBIG ON AGRTCtLTURE
AND SCIENTIFIC FARMING-PREsENI CoNpi-
TIoN OF AGRICULTURE IN GERaANf-lN-
FLCENCE OF RELIGION ON THE CCLIN ALTON
OF TIE SOIL
tyRoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIL; TR3CNk
VIENNA. Nov. 23-On the 18th inst. | had
TO visit Munich business. Tho nature OF the
business rendered interview with the Baron Won !
lAcbig the celebrated chemist necessary The inter-
view was readily granted as subsequently the por
mission to publish such details might consider In
teresng to the public Of the conversation which bao
with the Baron. There Is occasion to enter uloh dc-
tails OF Nebg's life or his works His name and
the nature OF his labors sufficiently well known. and
that he stands at the head OF all men VINO
have made Scientific Agriculture and chemistry as con-
nected with Agriculture their chief study The opinions
he expressed during the OF over ON hours con-
versaon subjects connected with Agriculture, Will
doubt prove interesting to large class OF readers
Baron ncbg's house is o large corner building stand
ing close the gigantic Glass Palace In which held
the Conferences the Old Catholic delegates at the end
of last September Al the back Of his house In large
welstockcd garden, in which he passes nearly all his
spare time In Summer and Autumn. lcaed at 81. and
informed by the maid who opened the door that the
Baron asleep but that she had orders to wake him
every day at that hour aud that he would doubt
me Immediately. few minutes later was ushered
into Baron's working study, and found him just
rising from a sofa, which, as he told inc, he always
the only sound sleep he had daring the "a hours.
scarcely seated before the appeared again
With handful Of papers which required Baron Lebigs
Signature. He apOlogizcd for the interruption, and
offered n ci-ar :as companion" he laughingly
siid. durirg the few inmates he engaged. /
rlovcd these few minutes IN "a careful and minute
ANIMATION ~ the study. which, said before, that
m which the Baron usually worked. 1t character
Isle apartment. fuler Of furniture and various articles
than any other room have seen. What particularly
>,ruck the utter inpossibility Of a
Strangers lGdng ont, from the appearance
II tho and from its contents, the precise
nature OF the Baron's studies The articles collected
together within that Of such Gissniar char
aul In such profuson that they gave the place
tn" air OF a museum than study Baron Lebig
h, the reputation OF being not only of the first
chemists OF the ago, but also OF possessing o
npure extensive and varied knowledge than
tie ccncralty Of men. His bore evidence
of this fact. Judging from the contents OF
solvcs glass and tables he might have been taken
Tor an ast.on"mer, gcooGSt. mathemateian,
Bo0kshclves occupied every spare space on
the walls that not filed by meteorological instrli-
mcnts, maps designs. The bOok-sheves were
sral cpitomcs OF the room ITSELF There were
not only volumes there but bundles Of apparently
rrampl"d MSS, Of bottles. reors glasses sealed
,rs stuTi animals and birds, mathematical, optical
nHd surgical instruments, newspapers, cigarDoxes,
chiua fqugcs, tools, spirtamps, a ships compass &C.
1n, booLs nearly all bound, rather covered with
C"ar-c rIwn paper and neither arranged according to
Subjects sy Systematically, according 10 Sizes is
often TIE in libraries which used for every pur
pose hui the oscnsihle for which they
signed. TIhine the book shelves and the study
cEihcnce no one would accord to Baron Lcbi9a high
character for Method, Order neatncs; hut had Oc
c-sOn TO SEE that he found difficulty whatever in put
ting his hand and without hesitation on the book
or document lie required What appeared very much
ILL., confusion TO the uninated probably the per-
fcct"n of order and regularity. large white brick
German stove WAS similarly covered with articles Of a
ino't heterogeneous nature.
The documents which had occupied the Barons atten.
t"n While was making my examination OF his study.
hivnc H. IN Gi posed Of lie himself took a cigar and
runc iat y entered upon the business about which
had cal 3D. Aficr this We continued speaking q sub
tcct which had arisen In the of the discussion
that Is Ag!Icu',rc. Baron Liebig remarked that there
was not published single good agric paper in all
Germany. In hIs 1 acquicsced and mentioned the
difficulty Lad encountered In Austria Of obtaining
Trustworthy information the state Of tho
years harvest. He laughed and said Yes II you
wait VIII answer for it thar in two years from now,
y.u vii Obtain II you ask in the right quarter, the
tst and most Trustworthy information on the subject
The information will be abuated, divided and arranged
"a eI:cct and exact manner nothing VIII be
wanne ai, with the assistance Of the statistics
pended. so may discover to single grain how much
wheat hds ."u sown eaten, sold, kept III reserve or
destroyed unfortunately YOU must wait two years.
that is tbs after the information could be turned
10 account"
Arnlrk made occasioDed him to say: ~ have
aiwaI. taken great interest III Agriculture, apart from
tie cxpcrim have made In the branch Of
TIE pursuit. have always considered 1t a sacred duty
10 spread as widely possible such information as
chtan"i. and which would not otherwise be known to
tae millions. fair share OF my time has been devoted
this iule,t At time lectures Scientific
Agriculture but discovered that the impression made
was not lasting enough, and that lecture unless it
printed and circulated, helped very little toward the OBJ
1'ct had in yiew e. spreading knowledge of useful
facts among The small farmers and holders of half-a-
Tie large landowners were benefited, but
not the men whom especially wished TO assist. Few
persons imagine how much knowledge, and especially
what varied knowledge 1t Is necessary man should
possess he successful farmer. There Is scarcely
ranch Of science which is not Intimately connected
Agriculture 1t is true farmer may be the most
ignorant OF men, and yet obtain good profits out of his
holding; is due to incidental circumstan
beyond his CONTROL and from which he profits gnOr
antly Experience long way, but study Is neces
syrcspeeiay study during youth theoretical farmer
vithOu; any practice or experience whatever will prob
shly lose his money; but who experience aud
Al-O knowledge drawn from books, will, other things
being equal make $3.50 where another who has exper-
only without the assistance and bints given by
study OF various subjects and sciences, will only make
$50 Agriculture, rather farming, Is generally con-
sidc?ed q matter OF luck and chance; all faults and
laid the weather, but the fact is that Agr
culture is a very exact science"
here asked Baron Lebg whether he did not consider
that at future time go 49, or 80 years hence, farm
lig would De much more profitable occupation than
Pre- Snt whether certain number OF acres would not
b. made return much larger profits than even the best
farmers can get from the same number now He an.
swered with much warmth: Certainly There is
scarcely limit. In my opinion to the profits which
he made by farming. always supposng that there
demand for the crops whatever they may be-" IL