No. 133.1 * 433 



Farmers' Club, February 22, 1853. 



Present, Messrs, Tallmadge, Denison, Wellington, Church, Liv- 

 ingston, Warrins, 11. L. Pell, Youmans, Solon Robinson, Captain 

 Holmes, Griffing and Gore of New-Jersey, Judge Van Wyck, Geo. 

 Dickey and Archibald. 



President Tallmadge in the Chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The President announced the subject for consideration to be the 

 communication of a Jersey farmer, on "The Progress of the 

 Growth of Vegetables, and the operation of Fertilizers," and Ame- 

 rican Forest Trees. 



The Secretary then read the following paper, by farmer Robert 

 K. Tuttle, of Morristown, enclosed to the Club by Samuel Allen, 

 of that place, 



THE PROGRESS OF THE GROWTH OF PLANTS, AND THE 

 OPERATION OF FERTILIZERS. 



The resources from which, and the means by which vegetables 

 derive their elements, nourishment, and growth — how these are 

 elaborated and compounded in the process of growing, and when 

 perfected, what they really are — are questions highly interesting 

 and important, and yet very imperfectly understood. The most 

 current opinions and botanical theories are not well supported by 

 facts and observations. Much, we know, has been done. Valu- 

 able discoveries have been made, and yet much error is abroad. 

 Let us endeavor to correct error and disseminate truth — facts 

 free from the mystification of scientific technicalities. 



We have statements published by chemists, professing to be an 

 analysis of a plant, or of some part of it, giving its elementary 

 constituents in relative numbers, and also of the soil, by which, 

 they say, we may know whether the soil contains the food and 

 elements of which the plant is to be formed, and what is to be 

 supplied. That they have not accomplished this is evident, be- 

 cause, in attempting to analyse, much escapes that eludes the 

 senses, and by the very means used to separate, new compounds 

 are formed before their primary elements can be known. 



[Assembly, No. 133.J 28 



