Ukckmbkh U, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



755 



besides its features as a botanical grarUen 

 Iiroper it is used as a nursery for propagating 

 economic plants for distribution to the plant- 

 ers of the island and as an agricultural ex- 

 periment station for the investigation of vari- 

 ous agrricultiiral problems. 



The second paper was by Dr. Howe, on 

 ' The So-called Flowering of the Adirondack 

 Lakes,' a phenomenon caused by the growth of 

 one of the minute blue-green algae, specimens 

 of which were exhibited. The substance of 

 this paper appeared in the October issue of 

 I'orreya. 



Dr. Britton spoke of the recent discovery 

 by Mrs. Goodrich, at Syracuse, of Phacelia 

 dithin, a plant new to the New York state flora. 

 This discovery extends the known range of 

 the plant several hundred miles farther north. 



On motion, the thanks of the club were 

 voted to Mrs. Cunningham for her interesting 

 exhibition of flower paintings. 



F. S. Earle, 

 Secretary. 



THE SCIENCE CLUB OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 

 WISCONSIN. 



The club held its first meeting of the aca- 

 demic year on October 5, President F. P. 

 Turneaure in the chair. The paper of the 

 evening was given by Professor Victor Gold- 

 schmidt, of Heidelberg University, on 'Recent 

 Develojinients in Crystallography.' Professor 

 Goldsehinidt discussed his recent work on the 

 etching figures formed on calcite crystals and 

 on spheres of calcite when subjected to the 

 dissolving action of acids. 



Victor Leniier, 



Secretary. 



2)/.SfrSS/r).V .4 .yd CORRESPOXUEyCE. 



the chemistrv of soils as related to crop 



production.* 



The following quotations will best define the 

 scope of this bulletin of seventy-one pages, 

 and the theses which it is intended to establish 

 and maintain. 



Page 7. " The investigations made by the 

 Bureau of Soils during the last ten years have 



* Bureau of Soils Bulletin No. 22, 1903. 



shown that the economic distribution of crops 

 is dependent mainly upon the physical char- 

 acters of soils, and upon climate." 



Page l.'{. " Briefly stated, the results given 

 in the following jiages appear to show, con- 

 trary to opinions which have long been held, 

 that there is no obvious relation between the 

 chemical composition of a soil as determined 

 by the methods of analysis used and the yield 

 of crops ; but that the chief factor determin- 

 ing the yield is the physical condition of the 

 soil under suitable climatic conditions." 



Page 63. " The exhaustive investigation of 

 "many tyjies of soil 'by very accurate methods 

 of analysis under many conditions of cultiva- 

 tion and cropping, in areas yielding large crops 

 and in adjoining areas yielding small crops, 

 has shown that there is no obvious relation 

 between the amount of the several nutritive 

 ingredients in the soil and in the yield of 

 crops." 



Page (J4. "It appears farther that i)rao- 

 tically all soils contain sufiicient plant food for 

 good crop yield ; that this supply will be indef- 

 initely maintained, and that the actual yield 

 of plants adapted to the soils depends mainly, 

 under favorable climatic conditions, upon the 

 cultural methods ; a conclusion strictly in ac- 

 cord with the experience of good farm practice 

 in all countries." 



The bulletin contains extended tables show- 

 ing the results of the analytical work, and at 

 the end, a full description of the methods em- 

 pl<iyed therein. 



The above four iniragraphs, taken respec- 

 tively from the beginning and the latter part 

 of the bulletin, summarize the conclusions to 

 which, as it states, ' the Bureau of Soils has 

 been forced.' 



These conclusions are certainly startling, to 

 say the least ; and perhaps not the least re- 

 markable is the concluding one, which hardly 

 agrees with the impressions left upon the mind 

 of most of those who have made themselves 

 acquainted with the history of agriculture, 

 and its past and present practice in the most 

 advanced civilizations. 



Were such statements to emanate from a 

 private laboratory, on a mere personal re- 

 sponsibility, it would be likely to be passed 



