52 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



SECOND DAY. 



The meeting was called to order soon after ten o'clock by 

 Hon. J. S. Grinnell, tirst vice-president, who introduced 

 Mr. Francis H. Appleton, second vice-president, as the 

 presiding officer for the day. 



Mr. Appleton. I recall recent conversations with farm- 

 ers of the West. Their talk was of the great depth of their 

 most fertile soil. We of the East have a shallow soil of 

 scant fertility, but on that soil has grown up a people of 

 whom the whole nation may be proud. Our experiment 

 stations are teaching us how to make this infertile soil 

 produce abundant crops. Of these stations the New York 

 State station is one of the most successful. Its director has 

 consented to address us at this time on "Commercial plant 

 food." I have the pleasure of introducing Prof. W. H, 

 Jordan of Geneva, N. Y. 



Professor Jordan. I have come to you this morning to 

 discuss some of the general relations of the fertilizer trade, 

 rather than questions pertaining to the use of fertilizers. I 

 have come with a written statement of what I wish to pre- 

 sent, which is somewhat contrary to my usual custom, and 

 it is only because the secretaries of these l)oards of agricult- 

 ure must have something with which to fill their volumes, 

 even if it is not so good, that I took the trouble to write 

 what I have to say. When I am in my own State, the 

 State in which I work, I talk to the people without the 

 manuscript. 



