172 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



post 3 copies of a short paper I have recently published. 

 There is nothing particularly new or interesting in it in a 

 scientific point of view, excepting that relating to Root crops 

 and their inability to take up organic matter as such from 

 the soil. For a long time I thought that one of the properties 

 of Roots, such as mangolds, turnips, etc., was to obtain carbon 

 from already organized matter, but after 30 years experiments 

 we have no evidence of such a fact. Farmers here cannot 

 understand my views concerning the exhausting nature of 

 Roots, they are so accustomed to consider them as great 

 increasers of fertility. 



Early in February 1874, Mr. Crandell, of the New 

 York Tribune, begged for all possible promptness in 

 forwarding "copy," and closed his letter thus: 



I am highly pleased with the article on the true uses of 

 scientific theory, and worked it for a place of honor in the 

 next issue. It will, I trust, serve as an antidote to the Grad- 

 grinds and it throws an unexpected boomerang at the heads 

 of certain flatulent individuals who send me high-sounding 

 disquisitions about things they do not understand. 



A few days later, Mr. Crandell wrote : 



The review of Bussey Bulletin reaches me too late for next 

 Weekly, but it has salt sufficient to save it till another issue. 

 It is just the sort of thing I wanted, and shows the immense 

 advantage of having a job done by a man who has his 

 "Forte." 



Professor Storer's graceful appreciation of this 

 review follows : 



Jamaica Plain, Mass., 20 Feb. 1874. 



Dear Johnson, — Thanks and thanks! I owe you debts of 

 gratitude both for the writing of sweet discourses and for the 

 sending of them. Pleasant it is to get a whiff of sympathetic 

 appreciation of one's points and of one's attitude. 



