CULTURE OF THE SUGAR BEET. 283 



special cases the moderate and intelligent use of this salt may, hoicever, seem justifiable be- 

 cause of its constant indirect action in rendering soluble other nutritive materials. 



Experiments with special manures should always decide this, because our knowledge 

 of the soil and of the life of plants will not permit us to give a reply to the question in 

 advance. 



Laplace once stated, as the end of chemistry, that this science should teach us to 

 know the movements of atoms as astronomy teaches us to recognize the movements of 

 the heavenly bodies. Agricultural chemistry shall have accomplished its task only 

 when it shall teach all the properties of the soil and all the chemical and physiological 

 properties of plants. 



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