118 
SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 
tie told me that he put about thirty-five tons on seventy-five 
acres, and not getting the results from the fertilizer that he 
expected, he sent a sample to the state chemist and got his 
analysis. I copied the analysis the state chemist sent him; I also 
copied the analysis that they reported to be on the bag. 
From that same manufactory there was a sample sent to 
another chemist, as also samples of potash ; I have the analy¬ 
sis of them all. Here is one that was attached to the bag : 
Moisture, 79 per cent.; phosphoric acid, 9 to 14 per cent.; 
available phosphoric acid, 7 to 9 per cent.; ammonia, 5 to 8 
per cent.; potash, 7 to 10 per cent. The state chemist’s analy¬ 
sis showed that the moisture was 140; insoluble phosphoric 
acid, 2.56; potash (K 2 0) 4 to 8. The potash was sold at 
$23.37 per ton at Savannah; the chemist told me he did not 
weigh the salt in it, but he estimated it was 13 per cent. The 
card on the nitrate of soda indicated 48 per cent.; it ana¬ 
lyzed 43 per cent. 
H. W. O. Margary —It seems to me that this question 
of fertilizers is of interest to all. There is one thing we 
-should take into consideration; that is, the question of soil. 
We have many different soils in Florida. We try to grow 
oranges on a soil in which some element is lacking; then 
we blame the fertilizer if the fruit is not satisfactory. Is it 
right for us to attribute the growth, or rather want of 
growth, to the fertilizers? I think the fault lies in a lack 
of knowledge of agricultural chemistry on the part of the 
grower. Why not appoint a committee of agricultural 
chemistry to study up the subject and give to members 
the benefit of their investigations, setting forth the needs 
of different soils at different times? We take a grove and 
put one kind of fertilizer on it one year and it does very 
well that year and we get a large crop; perhaps the same 
fertilizer is put on again and there is then no growth and 
>no fruit. Why is this? I am piling on fertilizer and there 
are no good results. We should examine the soil as well as 
the fertilizer. A year ago I took a few navel trees and gave 
them each twenty pounds of lime. The fruit is holding well 
now, but I do not know what the result will be. This was 
only an experiment. I say again that the question of soil 
should enter largely into the consideration of fertilizers. 
A. T. Cuzner —I was very much interested in the paper 
read by Mr. Painter. He doubtless knew what he was talking 
about, but I have not the least doubt that the majority of 
.persons present did not understand, when he got his charts 
-out, what he tried so hard to explain, viz : The nature and 
^essentials of a perfect fertilizer. 
.The subject of fertilizers is a very obscure one to the 
