Georges Ville

Life & Legacy

Georges Ville (23 March 1824 – 22 February 1897) was a French agronomist and plant physiologist born in Pont-Saint-Esprit.
In 1843 he started his career as an interne in pharmacy. From 1857 to 1897 he held the chair of Physique végétale at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris.
He is known for his research involving the absorption of nitrogen by plants. In 1849-1852 he carried out experiments on nitrogen absorption from the air by plants that reasserted 18th century theories espoused by Joseph Priestley and Jan Ingenhousz, stating that plants were capable of absorbing free nitrogen, a claim that was later opposed by Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure in 1804 and backed up by the experiments of Jean Senebier (1742-1809). The subject garnered enough interest in the scientific community that the French Academy of Sciences formed a committee to investigate Ville's work, resulting in a confirmation of his experiments on the matter.
He performed extensive pioneer studies on chemical fertilizers, largely carried out on his "experimental farm" (Ferme Georges-Ville) that was founded in 1860 at Vincennes.