CONVENTION OF AMKRICAN AGKICLTLTURAL COLLEtJES. 515 



the fertilizer requirements of soils, there was a quite general discus- 

 sion of the subject, which hi-ought out the difficulties in this work and 

 the many factors which tend to vitiate results in practice as well as in 

 field experiments. From this discussion it appeared that the problem 

 of a suitable means or method for this woi-k is far from solved, despite 

 the large amount of investigation which has l)een directed toward it. 



W. A. Withers and G. S. Fraps submitted a paper discussing the 

 nitrification of various fertilizers in the soil and the favorable influ- 

 ence of lime upon this. The importance of the presence of nitrifying 

 organisms was pointed out, and a further stud}^ of the question of lim- 

 ing was recommended as a subject worthy of more extended study. 



The question of the practicability of irrigation in humid regions, 

 and the crops and circumstances under which it is likely to prove 

 profitable, was discussed bv Elwood Mead, E. B. Voorhees, and H. J. 

 Waters. As indicative of the profitableness of irrigation in humid 

 regions, Mr. Mead pointed to the highlv successful results obtained in 

 Louisiana and Texas with its use in growing rice, and to other results 

 obtained in the Middle West during the past season. Efficient pump- 

 ing machinery which may be operated without the attention of skilled 

 labor was mentioned as an important factor in this connection. A 

 great future was predicted for irrigation in the humid sections of the 

 United States. E. B. Voorhees showed from the rainfall record for 

 New Jersey for the past 60 years that in 3 out of every 5 seasons dur- 

 ing that period all crops have been more or less injured by drought, 

 while one or more crops, and usually the money crop, was injured 

 every year. Experiments by the New f Jersey Stations for the past 5 

 years have shown a gain every year from the application of water, 

 notablj' with asparagus and blackberries. Irrigation plants established 

 in New^ Jersey are paying investments in all cases, and in the majority 

 of instances the equipment paid for itself the first year. H. fJ. Waters 

 stated that he had found the irrigation of the compact clay soils dis- 

 couraging at first, owing to the packing of the surface. This was 

 obviated by mulching. Irrigation at the Missouri Station has been 

 found very profitable with nursery stock. F. H. Newell, of the U. S. 

 Geological Survey, submitted a paper on the work of the agricultural 

 census on irrigation, indicating a great increase in the practice of irri- 

 gation under a variety of conditions. The irrigation work of the Geo- 

 logical Survey was briefly outlined, and a description given of early 

 irrigation in Massachusetts and irrigation by sewage, as now practiced 

 in the vicinity of Boston. 



SECTION ON HORTICULTURE AND BOTANY. 



In a paper on College or station work, E. S. Gotf called attention to 

 the condition existing in many institutions in which the workers are 

 called upon to devote their attention to both college and station duties, 



