author
Eugene W. (Eugene Woldemar) Hilgard
1833–1916
A pioneering soil scientist who helped shape American agriculture, he became known as the father of modern soil science in the United States. His work connected climate, chemistry, and the land itself in ways that changed how farmers and researchers understood soils.
1 Audiobook
Soils, their formation, properties, composition, and relations to climate and plant growth in the humid and arid regions
by Eugene W. (Eugene Woldemar) Hilgard
About the author
Born in Zweibrücken, Bavaria, in 1833, Eugene Woldemar Hilgard built a career that bridged geology, chemistry, botany, and agriculture. He later made his name in the United States as a leading expert on soils, especially the ways climate influences their formation and how difficult soils can be reclaimed and made productive.
Hilgard taught and carried out major research at the University of California, where he served as professor of agriculture and directed the agricultural experiment station. He is especially remembered for applying scientific soil study to practical problems in farming, including the improvement of alkali soils and the development of California agriculture and viticulture.
He died in Berkeley, California, in 1916. More than a century later, he is still widely recognized as one of the foundational figures in American soil science.