272 State Boaud of Ar.TJi(^ui;n:i!K, &c. 



science and labor. The belief that those two agents niaj 

 and should work together^ lias laid the fonndation of 

 every agricultural college in tlio land, and that this belief is 

 takiug a deeper hold on the minds of workiug farmers, wo 

 have renewed evidence from year to year, and rejoice at it. 



We know that there is a wide diti'erence between the fer- 

 tility of new and of worn out farms ; we may entertain a 

 full conviction of this and 3^et be unable to define exactly 

 the ingredient that is needed to restore the impoverished 

 soil to its ]>i'imitivc fertility. At this juncture, men who 

 have paid more exact attention to the subject, and have a 

 chemical apparatus at their disposal, offer their suggestions ; 

 several valuable papers on this subject have been read before 

 the Board, and the most of them have spoken highly of lirnt 

 in some form, as an important agent in restoring fertility. 

 On this subject Professor Peter Collier says : * * 



" Mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil, and often with 

 most beneficial results, though often the theory of their 

 action is a matter of conjecture. Of these lime and plaster, 

 or gypsum (a compound of sulphuric acid and lime), may be 

 mentioned." (Page 432, first report.) The question pro- 

 posed by E. E, Towle, Esq. (page 131), may have drawn 

 from Professor Collier the above reply. 



On page 1:27 Professor Collier also says : " These anal- 

 yses show further, that of the sixty-five elements existing in 

 the earth, plants select for their food but a small number ;" 

 * * * and on page 432 : " Lime, in some form, 



occupies a prominent position among needful earths ; bring- 

 ino- this in contact with carbonic acid we have carbonate of 

 limeP And thus, also, we happily find Professor Collier 



