270 ILLINOIS STATE HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the recipients of our bounty, but with an intelligent and appreciative world ; and this 

 again is another guarantee, however feeble, against war; another bond to keep the 

 peace ; another ligament that binds man to man and nation to nation. 



Dr. Humphrey, who evidently had been speculating on the cause of 

 the perishing of the peach orchards spoken of by Dr. Bateman, said he 

 thought the answer was in the statement made that the soil had been 

 enriched to the extent stated by fertilizing. He thought the change 

 made in the soil had probably destroyed the conditions necessary to the 

 growth of peaches. 



Prof. Standish stated that it is well known that plants, after a time, 

 deposit in the soil a poison that destroys its power of nourishing the 

 plant, which might account for the destruction of the orchards. 



Dr. Bateman recalled a notable exception to the failures mentioned — 

 the raising for a time upon some virgin soil in Vineland, N. J., of peaches 

 similar to those of former years. This orchard subsequently failed also. 

 He was inclined to support the theory of Dr. Humphrey. It is surprising 

 how a small change in the conditions will change results. Dr. Bateman 

 here gave an interesting narration of an experiment made by an advocate 

 of homoeopathy, being the opening of a small box of musk in a hall, the 

 doors and windows of which were hermetically sealed, and which also 

 contained an immense audience. After a given time the audience, being 

 unaware of the experiment, were asked how many were visibly affected 

 by the presence of the substance, and all rose without exception. It 

 was found upon weighing the box that its weight had not diminished 

 enough to be perceptible in the most delicate scales. In this connection 

 he also gave his experience with roses. He suggested the thought that 

 there being such a nice adjustment of human life with relation to the 

 gases, may it not be so with plants in relation to the soil? 



The Society adjourned to meet February 17th next, at the residence 

 of Mr. J. K. Mitchell, the present subject to be continued, and Prof, and 

 Mrs. Standish to be invited to compare the climates of the old and new 

 worlds. 



