64 MASSACHUSETTS IIOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



find elements with which to make new combinations, setting free 

 in a condition available for plant food the nitrogen, the phosphates, 

 or potash — the three great staple fertilizers — which, according to 

 Prof. Atwater, if present in, or applied in sufficient quantity and 

 available form to any soil, will be quite sure to find an abundance 

 of the other and less important elements, to insure a good crop. 



Prof. Atwater, in answer to an inquiry, said that he had made 

 no experiment in the application of sulphuric acid directly to the 

 soil. 



Mr. Wetherell had read an account of its application in a very 

 weak solution, with the effect of increasing the crop. It was 

 inferred that it set free plant food. 



John B. Moore being asked to express his views of the suliject 

 mider discussion, said that he was exceedingly pleased with Prof. 

 Atwater's address, and that he agreed so fully with it that he had 

 nothing to add. 



Mr. Wetherell thought that what Mr. Moore had said was the 

 highest compliment that could be paid to Prof. Atwater's lecture. 



O. B. Hadwen said that Prof. Atwater had shown the values of 

 different fertilizers as applied to different soils, but still he told us 

 that the seasons and other circumstances aft'ect their operation. It 

 was a surprise to him that these fertilizers are as regular in their 

 effect as they are. They will be especiall}' valuable to all who have 

 lands difficult of access. 



The Chairman remarked that fruit growers apply the same 

 fertilizers to different trees and wonder that their apples do not do 

 as well as their pears. 



Mr. Wetherell had tried a set of the fertilizers mentioned here, 

 and common land plaster produced a better effect than any one 

 ingredient or an}^ combination, or than the Stockbridge fertilizers. 

 This puzzled him, but Prof. Goessman said it showed that the 

 cheapest of the ingredients was the best for that land. What we 

 want is to save the expense of carting heavy barnj'ard manure, 

 which, Lawes says, contains only sixt^'-two pounds of plant food 

 in a ton. 



Prof. Atwater said that it puzzled him to know wh}" things should 

 behave in a certain way in one soil, and in an entirel}'^ different 

 manner in another. He did not mean to say that the three sub- 

 stances which he had spoken of as most generall}' deficient, were 

 the only ones that should be applied to our soils. He thought the 



