82 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



2. The yimerican Period of Eleven Years previous to the Massachu- 

 setts Agricultural College, 1858-69. 

 He made a number of contributions to the "American Journal of 

 Science " on the chemistry of brine and salt, and while in the em- 

 ploy of the salt company at Syracuse devised a process for the re- 

 moval of calcium and magnesium chlorides from salt which was of 

 inestimable value to the salt industry of the United States. He also 

 contributed papei'S to the " London Chemical News " on sugar refining. 



S. The Massachusetts First Period, 1869-86. 



During this jjeriod, in addition to teaching, Professor Goessmann 

 made a study of the agricultural conditions in the State, was a fre- 

 quent contributor to the agricultural press, and gave numerous lec- 

 tures before the State Board of Agriculture, 



His more prominent investigations may be briefly referred to under 

 the following headings : — 



(a) Beets for Sugar, and Sugar Beets as an Agricultural Enterprise. 

 — He carried on investigations with the sugar beet both in the field 

 and laboratory, and demonstrated the feasibility of growing beets for 

 sugar in certain sections of Massachusetts, and concluded that, with the 

 proper education of the farmer and capitalist, the production of sugar 

 from the beet should prove a jorofitable American industry. (Reports of 

 the Massachusetts Agricultural College, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1876.) 



{h) The Value of Early Amber Sorghum as a Sugar-producing 

 Plant. — His study of the plant as a possible source of sugar led him 

 to conclude that " the presence of a large amount of grape sugar in 

 all the later stages of growth ... is a serious feature in the com- 

 130sition of the juice, impairing gi'eatly the chances for a copious 

 separation of the cane sugar by simple modes of treatment." This 

 prophesy has been literally fulfilled, in spite of the later efforts to 

 utilize this plant as a commercial source of sugar. 



(c) Reclamation of Salt Marshes. — Goessmann made a thorough 

 investigation of the condition of the marshes in southeastern Massa- 

 chusetts, and embodied his results in a number of valuable papers 

 before the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. His studies 

 included the chemical conditions of the soils, and he recommended 

 diking when necessary, suitable fertilizers and especially thorough 

 drainage and cultivation. (Reports of the Massachusetts State Board 

 of Agriculture, 1874, 1875, 1876.) 



(d) The Application of Chemistry to Fruit Culture. — His studies 

 were devoted particularly to the composition of the ash of different 

 fruits, and to the influence of the various forms of mineral fertility 

 upon yield and quality. He emphasized the need of a thorough study 

 of the functions of the several mineral elements in plant growth, a 



