204 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



fully, as it only can be with the methods and appliances 

 of a fully equipped experiment station." A careful 

 study of the relation of the soil to water was also 

 begun during this period, and in the first Report, pub- 

 licity was given to a correspondence upon environ- 

 ment favorable and unfavorable to the development of 

 potato-rot and skin-crack, and to an account of the 

 conditions under which the sugar-beet may be success- 

 fully raised. 



The first bulletin issued by the station under Pro- 

 fessor Johnson was in his own handwriting. It was 

 made by aid of Edison's electric pen and duplicating 

 press, and bears date of August 18, 1877. Copies of this 

 and other early bulletins were sent to the newspapers 

 of the state vnth the request that they be published 

 for the information of readers, and to the secretaries 

 of the agricultural societies and farmers' clubs of 

 the state — these being the only mediums through 

 which the station could place its publications in the 

 hands of the farmers. 



Direct correspondence regarding specific problems 

 of individual farmers was necessarily a large part of 

 the work of the newly established station. This has 

 now long been superseded by the present system of 

 bulletins prepared by specialists, printed in generous- 

 sized editions and freely sent to all interested; but in 

 the early years of the Connecticut Station, this field 

 was covered by Professor Johnson's personal letters 

 in response to inquiries on a vast range of subjects. 

 Concerning this part of the work he wrote at the end 

 of the first six months : 



A not inconsiderable correspondence has necessarily been 

 attended to. This has consisted not only m the exchange of 



