SHEFFIELD SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL 135 



I am glad you are about to work at the N question, . . . 

 Your plan will give good results if you can carry it out. 24 

 pots will make much work, but it will enable you to open the 

 work and have it ready for the Washington Station. . . . But 

 my dear fellow, get at it. Starve along as best you can, and I 

 will point at you starving when the proper time comes to lay 

 the question of a Station before Uncle Sam. 



In this same year was published Professor John- 

 son's paper, ''On the Soil Analyses of the Geological 

 Surveys of Kentucky and Arkansas," which pointed 

 out some dangers in injudicious application of imper- 

 fectly understood scientific principles to practical 

 problems. It was a timely and needed warning to 

 enthusiasts who were ignoring the rudimentary state 

 of scientific agriculture and were attempting the 

 impossible. This publication elicited the following 

 from Dr. Pugh: 



Thank you for your paper on soil analysis, it is the right 

 thing in the right place by the right man. I have met some 

 of those Kentucky soil analysts, they did not seem to realize 

 what they were about, your article will show them. 



In a letter of later date, Dr. Pugh commented sym- 

 pathetically on the scheme of agricultural instruction 

 adopted by the Sheffield Scientific School: 



I have said enough, — except to express my approbation of 

 your proposed plan to cultivate a few students to a high 

 standard, rather than to popularize many subjects to many 

 people. 



Professor Brewer,* at that time first assistant of 

 the Geological Surrey of California, wrote from San 



* William Henry Brewer grew up on his father 's farm in Xew York 

 State, where he early imbibed a love of agrieultaral pursuits and acquired 



