1911.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 83 



subject still calling for much careful investigation. lie proved to his 

 own satisfaction that muriate of potash promoted particularly the 

 growth and improved the quality of fruit; and, further, that an in- 

 crease of potash was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in lime 

 and phosphorus. He called attention to the fact that the young 

 branches of peach trees affected with *' yellows " contained excessive 

 amounts of lime and phosiahoric acid, and that a judicious pruning, 

 together \\ith liberal applications of muriate of potash, restored the 

 affected trees to a vigorous growth, which contained normal amounts 

 of potash, lime and phosphoric acid. (Twenty-seventh and thirty- 

 second reports of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture.) 



(e) The Chemical Composition of Different Varieties of Corn, and 

 the Preservation of Corn in Silos. — Goessmann gave considerable at- 

 tention to the value of corn for cattle, and in a comprehensive paper 

 l)ul)lished luunerous analyses of different varieties of the entire corn 

 plant, as well as of the stalks, ears and cobs. About 1880 attention 

 was being given to the method of preserving corn in the silo, and the 

 claim was made by Dr. J. M. Bailey and others that corn thus pre- 

 served (ensilage) did not sutfer loss by the process, but Avas actually 

 superior in feeding value to the original product. Goessmann in two 

 admirable papers exi^lained and discussed the principles of animal 

 nutrition founded upon the researches of German investigators, showed 

 the i^lace of corn in the animal economy, pointed out the changes that 

 took place during the process of fermentation, and made clear the 

 relative merits of the drj^ and preserved corn. His statements concern- 

 ing the relative value of silage and dry corn, made in 1880, hold true 

 at the present time. (Reports of the Massachusetts State Board of 

 Agriculture, 1879-80, 1880, 1881.) 



(/) The Inspection of Commercial Fertilisers. — Goessmann was 

 instrumental in securing the passage of a law authorizing the inspec- 

 tion of commercial fertilizers, which became operative Oct. 1, 1873, 

 and as State Inspector of Fertilizers under the new law he made a 

 ]n-eliminary report the same year. (Twenty-first report of the Mas- 

 sachusetts State Board of Agriculture.) It is believed that this was 

 the first law enacted in the United States requiring an official inspec- 

 tion of fertilizers. He found many of the materials offered to be 

 of uncertain composition, and to vary greatly in price; "these same 

 articles cost the farmers . . . about one-half the amount more than 

 they ought to ". His work along this line from year to year cor- 

 rected most of these abuses, and was unquestionably of great pecuni- 

 ary value to the farmei's of the State and nation. 



4. The Massachusetts Second Period, 1886-1907. 

 The Massachusetts State Agncultural Experiment Station was es- 

 tablished by act of the State Legislature, and Goessmann was made 



