STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 191 



it when they work. . . . Clear out those note books of yours, 

 if you can, forthwith, for 'tis a sin and a shame to have your 

 fellowmen run the risk of wasting their powers upon trees 

 that you have already climbed. I was particularly anxious 

 last summer — and so I found was Atwater — to see that paper 

 on nitrates that you presented to the Sci. Assoc, some time 

 since. . . . 



I have missed you consumedly in the Tribune, particularly 

 on account of the hue and cry about ' ' Stockbridge fertilizers ' ' 

 which has been wellnigh unbearably strong in this state of 

 Mass. That Bruit needed to have been grasped with a firm 

 hand before it made much head. In view of your computa- 

 tion on page 364 of H. C. F. and of my own computations in 

 C. B., as to the agreement of my expts. with mixed fertili- 

 zers, — let alone the whole tone and drift of agric. literature 

 for years, — the taking out and yet more the giving, of a 

 patent for such device was truly pitiable, as exhibiting the 

 lowness of our status. . . . 



My isolation here is little short of awe-ful. I have no 

 colleagues for communion, no clientage of farmers, and abso- 

 lutely no one but the greenest of students to talk to. . . . 



I will send you Part V of our Bulletin tomorrow. We 

 mean to get out another Part early in '77. 



Poverty has reduced us to the strait of resorting to a pub- 

 lisher in the hope of getting some salvage, as his circular wiU 

 explain. I will enclose it as a piece of evidence and trust that 

 there is no need for me to add that the Bulletin is still proud 

 to present itself to the elected, and that subscriptions will not 

 be received from our kindred, whether they be men or 

 societies. . . . 



