INSPECTION OF FERTILIZERS. 313 



Dana's Hovey and Clapp's Favorite pear, her name would be 

 honorably associated with those of her sister states in the 

 progress of fruit-culture on our continent. Other states and 

 societies have done nobly; but Massachusetts, as a pioneer 

 in the early history of our pomology, has wielded a strong in- 

 fluence. Strike out from our catalogues the fruits which 

 Massachusetts has introduced from Europe ; root out from 

 our orchards, gardens, and vineyards the fine native fruits 

 which have originated in our cold and rough soil, — and we 

 should require a long list of valuable kinds to fill their 

 place. Massachusetts has more good fruits stored up in the 

 laboratory of her resources. Her mission is not yet ended. 

 Let us help her to fulfil it. 



The Report was accepted. 



Professor Goessjmann then submitted his 



FIFTH ANNTTAL EEPOET OK FERTILIZEIIS. 

 To the State Board of Agriculture. 



Gentlemen, — The consumption of commercial fertilizers 

 has been quite remarkable during the past year. An unusu 

 ally large variety of more or less compound articles has 

 been offered for sale, many of them of excellent quality, and 

 at a fair price ; showing a commendable zeal on the part of 

 manufacturers and dealers to meet the wants of a progres- 

 sive movement of a large portion of their patrons. Careful 

 observers cannot fail to notice the rapid progress among our 

 farmers regarding a better appreciation of the proper position 

 of the commercial fertilizers in a rational system of manur- 

 ing farm-lands. Our present more intelligent mode of sell- 

 ing fertilizers has largely contributed to these gratifying 

 results. To know the constituents of our manures is not 

 less important for the development of a rational and thus 

 economical system of agriculture than to know the constitu- 

 ents of the soil, and those of the plants we cultivate. An 

 intelligent statement concerning the general character and 

 the chemical composition of the proximate constituents of 

 most fertilizers offered for sale is, for obvious reasons, indis- 

 pensable in the interest of its rational and thus most success- 



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