FERTILIZERS. 79 



about their land. The}' must use their own brains, and, while not 

 relying on chemists, should avail themselves of their labors. Chemists 

 can tell what is good for crops, but they cannot tell as well as the 

 farmer, what his soil needs. It is an impossibilit}' to make an 

 analysis of a soil which shall be of value to a farmer ; a soil may 

 show, b}' chemical analysis, much potash when there is none in a 

 form available for plant food. It does not require a great deal of 

 knowledge or a great deal of time for a farmer to post himself up b}' 

 stud^' of the anah'ses of crops by Professor Goessman, or of other 

 analyses which he will find in chemical works, so that he can buy 

 understandingly all the simple elements that he needs, and apply 

 them to his crops. The farmers must use barnyard manure as 

 the basis of the plant food for all their crops, and then apply the 

 particular element required by any crop in greater amount than is 

 needed for other crops, or than is supplied by barnyard manure. 

 They must use their own brains, and stud}' their own soils. 



N. B. White said that Prof. Atwater's advice to farmers not to 

 use complete fertilizers, but to experiment and ascertain the needs 

 of their soils, reminded him of the mother who would not let her bo}' 

 go into the water until he had learned to swim. Farmers cannot 

 wait to find out about their soils by experiment. Mr. White 

 believed that none of the soils in New England had an excess of 

 any of the elements of plant food, and therefore thought well of 

 complete fertilizers. 



The Chairman of the Committee on Discussion announced that 

 as next Saturday was prize da}- for Hybrid Perpetual Roses, the 

 subject of forcing roses would be again discussed. 



BUSINESS MEETING. 



Saturday, March 2, 1878. 



An adjourned meeting of the Society was holden at 11 o'clock. 

 President Gray in the chair. 



The Secretar}- read a letter from John G. Barker, resigning his 

 position as Chairman and member of the Committee on Plants and 



