Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-22
q0R,,SION AND AMERICAN
FAgM AND GARDEN.
BARON LIEBTG AND HIS VIEWS OF
SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE.


4 letter to the Kew York Tribune from
Vienna gives an instructive and interesting
BIZ account of an interview held at Munich
,.rg9 %. with the celebrated chemist and philoso-
pher Baron Liebig. There is no man living
or dead who has done so much to advance
the science of agriculture as the Baron.
To-day he stands at the head of all men
who have made scientific agriculture and
ps. agricultural chemistry their chief study.
The Baron lives in large building with q
large sized garden at the back, where, du-
ring the pleasant weather in summer and
HH winter he spends the greater portion of his
E'~ time, trying those experiments which
science suggests. He is represented as
being a genial companion, free from
the restraints and awkwardness of a
mere scholar, INDUCING in afternoon siestas
and fragrant Havanas, and fond of society.
He possesses a more extensive and varied
knowledge than the generality Of men.
Judging from the contents of his shelves, he
might be taken for an astronomer, geolo-
gist, mathematician or a surgeon. Book
shelves occupy every spare place on the
walls that is not filed By meteorological in
struments, maps or designs. The book
shelves are small epitomes of the room it
self There are not only volumes there
but bundles Of apparently crumpled-up
MSS, rows of bottles, retortS, glasses, sealed
Jars, stuffed animals and birds, math-
ematical, optical and surgical instrI-
Gnents, newspapers, cigar boxes,
china figures, tools, spirit lamps, a ships
compass, etc. The books are nearly all
bound, or rather covered, with coarse brown
paper, and neither arranged according to
subjects nor Systematically, according to
sizes, as is so often the case, in libraries
which are used for every purpose but the
oetensble one for which they were de-
signed. Taking the book shelves and the
study as sole evidence, no one would accord
TO Baron Liebig high character for method,
order or neatness; but he found no difficult
ty whatever in putting his hand at once and
without hesitation on the book or document
he required. What appeared very much like
confusion to the uninitiated probably was
the perfection of order and regularity.
The description of bis study as given by
. the Tyi6ble's correspondent, demonstrates
what we have so often said, that the science
ara Of agriculture is one that combines within
stself the whole circle of sciences. 1t
would be difficult, indeed, to name any
subject of human thought, knowledge of
which would not be of advantage to the
al GARNER. Political economy can never reach
its greatest height nor make its most pow
erfll Influences felt until its concentrations
and deductions are modified by the reia-
tive intelligence of agricultural commu1li-
ties. The Baron seems to feel the necessi-
ty of such information as Commodore
Naury proposes TO collect through the
la agency of governments in regard to crops
and weather, for when the correspondent
spoke of the difficulty which he en-
countered in procuring Trustworthy
information on the subject Of the
present years harvest the Baron laughed
and said, al you can wait,
will answer that in two years from now.
The information will be tabulated, divided
and arranged in the most perfect and exact
manner, nothing viii be wanting, and. with
the assistance of the statistics appended,
you may discover to a single grain how
much aheat has been sown, eaten, sold,
kept in reserve, or destroyed. But unfortu-
uately you must wait two years, that is
Hwenty-four months, after the information
could be turned to account"
Under the system proposed by Commo-
.dore Maury, as our readers know, the prom
Use and the yield Of every staple crop
throughout the world would be forecast as
accurately as an observant farmer can do it
for his own neighborhOOd, and the same
STIMULATED, digested," etc, before the crops
leave the hands of the producer.
The Baron said, during the interview,
that he had always taken decided interest
in agriculture, apart from the experiment
he has made in the scientific branch Of the
pursuit To spread such information he
considered q sacred duty. He had lectured,
but thought the impression from lectures
not lasting enough unless the lecture is
printed and circulated. His desire had
been TO elevate the small farmers aud land
holders of half dozen acres. "Fewpersons
imagine" says.the Baron, show much
cd, knowledge, and especially what varied
knowledge, it is necessary man
should possess TO Be successful