222 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



PROF. COOKE: 1 think you must have misunderstood what I 

 intended. I think you misunderstood what I meant as to nitrogen 

 being just as good for one plant as for another. A pound of phos 

 phoric acid is just as good for one plant as it is for another. These 

 plants may want different quantities. There may be forty pounds 

 of phosphoric acid available in a given field and that might be 

 enough for a crop of corn where it would not be enough for a crop 

 of wheat. A pound of phosphoric acid would be good for one or 

 the other, only they may be different in the quantity they want. 



MR. SEEDS: A man might waste a great deal of plant food be- 

 cause he don't know how much to put on. 



PROF. COOKE: So far as the phosphoric acid and potash are 

 concerned, they are not wasted. They are there. Their action is 

 just postponed until they are needed. 



MR. HALLO WELL: What commercial value has the clover root? 



PROF. COOKE: As I stated, the analysis of clover root is not 

 much different from the clover top, so that a ton of dry clover root 

 has about the same value as dry clover hay. 



MR. SHARPLESS: Explain the action of land plaster on the soil. 



PROF. COOKE: Well, that has a sort of double use. Land plas- 

 ter has some effect toward conserving moisture. It rather tends 

 to catch and hold moisture and helps to carry the plant through a 

 dry time. 



Evening Session, Wednesday, May 24, 1905. 



J. Milton Lutz, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:30 

 o'clock. 



The CHAIR: We will now be entertained with a whistling solo by 

 Miss May Stewart Smith. 



Miss Smith rendered a whistling chorus, "Maid of Dundee," and 

 responded to an encore by giving the familiar air, "Cornin' Thro' the 

 Rye." Miss Mary Elree acted as accompanist. 



The CHAIR: We will now be entertained with a violin solo bv 

 'Miss Cooley, of Downingtown. 



Miss Cooley played a violin solo which was well received. Her 

 accompanist was Miss Irwin, also of Downingtown. 



Discussion of Prof. Cooke's paper was resumed: 



MR. STOUT: Is it advisable to apply as much as a ton or more 

 of nitrate soda at once on an acre of asparagus? 



