FERTILIZERS. 53 



experiments have indicated beneficial results. Is the decay of 

 leaves on roses a disease, or is it caused by a fungus, or b^' too 

 much water ? The diseases of roses generally is an interesting sub- 

 ject ; are there specific symptoms, and if there are, what are they, 

 and what are the remedies ? 



N. B. White asked whether the failure to grow roses south con- 

 sisted in a failure to get a good growth of wood, or whether wood 

 was produced without flowers. 



Mr. Merriam had no particular information on the subject. 



James Cruickshanks was satisfied that if we had good hardy 

 wood, the more closely we prune, the better roses we get. He had 

 covered a bed of Moss roses with moss from the woods, pruned to 

 two or three buds, and pegged down the shoots, and the bed made 

 a complete flame of flowers. 



The discussion, owing to the engagement on committees of 

 several gentlemen who would otherwise have taken pai't, was not as 

 extended as usual. The Chairman announced that on the next 

 Saturday Professor W. O. Atwater would speak on Fertilizers. 



MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. 



Saturday, February 9, 1878. 



A meeting foi' discussion was holden at 11 o'clock. William C. 

 Strong, Chairman of the Committee on Publication and Discussion, 

 presided, and introduced Professor W. O. Atwater, of Weslejan 

 Universit}', Middletown, Conn., to lecture on Fertilizers. 



Professor Atwater said that he proposed to give, not a formal 

 lecture, but rather a "talk," on the general subject of plant food, 

 as supplied b}" soils and fertilizers, and should first state some im- 

 portant principles. The character of the soil as to moisture, 

 texture, warmth, etc., is very important, but its supply of plant 

 food is even more so for the growth of crops. Ever}- plant in order 

 to grow must have food. This is not a newly discovered principle, 

 but, until quite recently, no one has known just what ingredients are 

 necessary to the growth of plants. Prof. Atwater here described 

 some experiments made bj' Nobbe, to test the importance of the 



