132 . BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



They were instituted to aid farmers in their practice year by 

 year, and for that purpose they are valuable. 



Mr. HuRD. Speaking as the gentleman did a few moments 

 ago of the uselessness of a large amount of nitrogenous mat- 

 ter for the corn crop, I would like to have Mr. Hubbard tell 

 us his impression of what is a good fertilizer for a fair corn 

 crop. I would also, if it is not presuming too far, ask Prof. 

 Jolmson to follow with his ideas, provided he does not agree 

 with Mr. Hubbard. 



Mr. Hubbard. I think, as far as that question is concerned, 

 every man must find out for himself. I think I know pretty 

 well what is a good fertilizer for my farm ; but I am not sure 

 that it would be the right one for Mr. Hurd's farm. 



Mr. HuRD. I asked that question not so much for the pur- 

 pose of getting Mr. Hubbard's personal experience on his own 

 farm, but, knowing that he has been more or less intimately 

 acquainted with the experiments carried on by Prof. Atwater, 

 I thought he might be able to cover a larger area. 



Mr. Hubbard. Those experiments indicate very cleaily 

 tliat the leading element of corn fertilizers should be soluble 

 iphosphoric acid, a smaller proportion (I cannot give any 

 •definite proportions or percentages) of potash, and a small 

 percentage of nitrogen ; but much the larger, the leading ele- 

 ment, should be phosphoric acid. That was the conclusion 

 to which those experiments pointed, and I think it was a very 

 valuable one. 



Mr. Hurd. That is just the conclusion I wished to draw 

 out. 



Mr. Spurr, of Farmington. Will Mr. Hubbard tell us 

 what to buy for corn ? I have never used any chemical fer- 

 tilizers whatever; I have always relied on what I could get 

 from the farm. If I was going to buy anything for a corn 

 crop I should not know what to buy, and should be wholly 

 at the mercy of the dealers. 



Mr. Hubbard. I cannot answer such a question as that. 

 T would recommend you to buy certain fertilizers and experi- 

 ment with them and see what results you obtain. I do not 

 know what you ought .to buy. Those experiments to which I 



