FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
233 
and conditions, and to deduct proper con¬ 
clusions therefrom, together with the skill 
to apply the knowledge so obtained, prac¬ 
tically and efficiently. Soon his theories, 
demonstrated by actual results, began to 
be acknowledged, his advice and counsel 
sought. He early recognized the now ac¬ 
cepted truth, that different soils and dif¬ 
ferent crops demanded different materials 
in different proportions to insure success. 
That no one material or combination of 
materials was suited to all conditions of 
soil, age of groves, or variety of crops. 
We were all working in the dark, em¬ 
pirically, each with a pet method or “for¬ 
mula,” a formula made up of materials 
the composition of which we knew little 
or nothing. 
He was the first in Florida to com¬ 
bine his materials in definite proportions, 
containing definite percentages of what is 
now known as the three principal plant 
foods: “Nitrogen, Potash and Phos¬ 
phate.” Outside of a few agricultural 
colleges and states the combination of 
various materials in definite amounts to 
insure proper percentages of the necessary 
elements, suited to various crops, soils 
and conditions, was unknown. The few 
“brands” of fertilizer sold in the state 
depended solely on the name or brand, 
and the claims of its makers. 
E. O. Painter was among the first to 
recognize the necessity of a knowledge of 
the compounding of commercial fertilizer, 
not only the materials entering into it, 
but the percentages of the peculiar ele¬ 
ment furnished by each material—its 
origin, organic or otherwise, and effect 
upon the soil and the crops. This knowl¬ 
edge he obtained by studying the best 
known authorities on scientific and practi¬ 
cal fertilizing. He was the first to make 
it possible for the grower to obtain the 
necessary raw materials with which to 
supply the most necessary elements de¬ 
manded by his grove. As well known 
to each of you, for years it was practically 
impossible to obtain the salts of Potash, 
Phosphate or Ammoniates, as such, in 
unmixed condition. Northern manufac¬ 
turers controlled the supply, and refused 
to sell anything but their peculiar brands 
or mixtures. 
E. O. Painter was one of the most po¬ 
tent factors in the enactment of the pres¬ 
ent fertilizer law of the State, by which 
the business was made no longer a simple 
matter of “brands” of various and un¬ 
known composition, and made it possible 
for a grower to order and obtain a fer¬ 
tilizer of certain desired composition, or 
to obtain the necessary materials bv which 
to get the results desired. 
His interest in the work of our experi¬ 
ment station was at all times great. His 
contributions to the cause of careful scien¬ 
tific investigation of the effect of various 
fertilizers and soils, under scientific con¬ 
trol, are well known to each of you, ex¬ 
periments made possible by his liberal con¬ 
tributions to the work, not only finan¬ 
cially, but also by his practical sugges¬ 
tions, earnest co-operation, encouragment 
and advice to the scientists in charge. 
I have had the pleasure for many years 
to meet Mr. Painter on occasions of this 
kind, he being one of the charter mem¬ 
bers of this association. Also at many 
other meetings of growers, Farmers’ in¬ 
stitutes, and other gatherings, where the 
important question of proper fertilizing 
