1908.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT— No. 33. 9 



fraud which it has afforded, while so wisely was it shaped that 

 under Dr. Goessmann's administration it has almost equally 

 served the interests of honest manufacturers and dealers. 

 Among other important investigations conducted by Dr. Goess- 

 mann prior to the organization of the experiment station should 

 be mentioned his studies as to the effects of special fertilization 

 upon the composition of fruits, his determination of the effect 

 of girdling upon the quality of grapes, his recognition of the 

 possible relation of fertilizers to certain plant diseases, his work 

 in connection with the reclamation of the Green River salt 

 marsh in Marshfield, his determination of some of the chemical 

 changes taking place in ensilage and his chemical examination 

 of sorghum and its products. He was associated with Stock- 

 bridge in his investigations which led up to the theory of 

 special fertilization which bears the name of the latter, and in the 

 study of the results of fertilizer applications through observa- 

 tions upon a lysimeter and analytical work connected therewith. 



Upon the organization of an experiment station in Massa- 

 chusetts, in 1882, Dr. Goessmann was made director. This 

 position Dr. Goessmann held until 1895, when the Massachusetts 

 or State station was combined with the station established as a 

 department of the college under the Hatch act. At this time 

 Dr. Goessmann was made honorary director, and was placed 

 in charge of the chemical fertilizer and fertilizer control work, 

 in which position he continued to serve the station with distin- 

 guished ability until his retirement the 1st of July last. He 

 has taken with him in his retirement the good will, affection 

 and esteem of all who have been associated with him, and all 

 share in the hope that he will have many years yet of health, 

 usefulness and happiness. 



A number of minor changes in the station staff have been 

 made during the year. These changes in many cases have 

 been made necessary by the resignation of men who have left 

 us for positions of greater responsibility and reward. The 

 changes in staff have been as follows : — 



E. Thorndike Ladd, M.S., promoted to the position of first assistant 

 chemist, fertilizer division, in place of Edward G. Proulx, B.Sc, resigned. 



Walter E. Dickenson, B.Sc, in place of E. Thorndike Ladd, pro- 

 moted. 



