THE CULMINATING YEAR 



the country as the time at his disposal permitted. He applied 

 four different methods in examining the soils of the country: 

 (1) personal examination, (2) chemical analysis, (3) pot- 

 culture experiments, and (4) field experiments. He visited 

 and examined personally all the most important soil areas in 

 Greece, collected over three thousand single soil samples, 

 which were combined into about one hundred composite sam- 

 ples and were analyzed chemically, and he conducted many 

 series of pot-culture experiments and several field experiments 

 in different parts of the country. After he had obtained scien- 

 tific results from these various studies and had acquired a 

 practical knowledge of the agricultural conditions of the coun- 

 try he wrote a little book containing advice to the farmers and 

 giving recommendations to the Government. This book was 

 sent free to nearly all the farmers in Greece. Almost two hun- 

 dred thousand copies were printed and distributed. 



He outlined to the farmers systems of agriculture by which 

 their land could be made to produce infinitely more and per- 

 manently and at the same time permanently retain its fertility. 

 He recommended to the Government educational systems of 

 agriculture and ways in which it could render direct and 

 immediate help to the farmers. This report is a masterpiece. 

 He poured into it the cream of his wonderful knowledge and 

 rich experience. It is his culminating work and will always 

 stand as one of the greatest monuments to him. 



He did all this tremendous amount of work in the short 

 space of ten months. It was a gigantic task; one that only 

 Doctor Hopkins could have performed, for he was blessed with 

 perfect health and a remarkable power of endurance both 

 physical and mental. He was possessed of a wonderful ability 

 for mental concentration, with remarkably efficient methods of 

 work, with a great love for work, and with the most magnifi- 

 cent spirit, love, and ambition for rendering service. He 

 worked unceasingly and with intensity and never seemed to 



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