94 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



temperature produced b}' the fermentation of horse manure, may 

 afford a home for bacteria, and so help the plant to a supply of 

 nitrogen. 



In growing crops on worn out lands guano, phosphate, etc., 

 worked well for a while and then failed, and potash was tried and 

 succeeded. Nitrogen and phosphate had accumulated in the soil, 

 and potash just filled the niche. A plant cannot rise above the 

 level of the lowest element in the soil : in the experiment above 

 mentioned, phosphate was the lowest at first ; afterwards the pot- 

 ash was reduced and it required a further supply. The speaker 

 recommended growing those plants which take nitrogen from the 

 air. By feeding them we serve the double purpose of adding fer- 

 tility to the soil and increasing the supply of valuable animal 

 manure. 



Rev. A. B. Muzzey said that sometimes he had thought there 

 might have been a little jealousy of scientists on the part of 

 farmers, but we want the knowledge furnished by the scientists to 

 help the farmers. Every man who has heard this lecture will go 

 home prepared to cultivate more intelligently. He had seldom 

 seen a better illustration of the benefit of scientific research. 



A vote of thanks to Professor Atwater for his interesting and 

 instructive discourse was unanimously passed. 



The announcement for the next Saturday was a paper on " The 

 Bulb Gardens of Holland," by Robert Farquhar. 



BUSINESS MEETING. 



- Saturday, February 18, 1888. 



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

 the President, Henry P. Walcott, in the chair. 



It was voted that the Committee of Arrangements be authorized 

 to purchase such plate as is offered for prizes in the Schedule. 



The President read a communication from the Bay State Agri- 

 cultural Society, giving information of the prizes offered by that 

 Society for essays on agricultural topics. 



Adjourned to Saturday, February 25. 



