122 
SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 
perfect fruit, and what elements were to produce that bloom; 
he should have gone on and told us the effects of oxygen in 
the atmosphere and what it is that makes the seed produce it¬ 
self, and I deny that it is phosphoric acid. If we are going 
to have elementary instruction we can go and buy a book for 
50 cents to cover all these points. 
John W. Harding — I would like to ask for information, 
of Mr. Phelps, who seems to be quite versed in the chem¬ 
istry of fertilizers. 
Mr. Phelps —I asked the gentleman third last speaking 
to answer certain questions in reference to the elementary 
fruit. I would like to hear from him. 
Mr. Cuzner —Mr. Phelps asks such a comprehensive ques¬ 
tion and one that requires such a comprehensive answer, 
that I beg to be excused. He wants me to make an 
answer as to what chemicals and what amount it requires 
to make an orange tree bloom, whether phosphoric acid, 
soda, potash or ammonia, and I am sorry to say I am not 
in a position to answer. I cannot tell him how much pot¬ 
ash to use to make a good bloom. There are a good many 
things that enter into such a question as Mr. Phelps asks 
me to answer and I am sorry to say I cannot answer. 
Mr. Harding —How my question is this: Whether there 
are not certain processes of nature which cannot be under¬ 
stood and cannot be analyzed by any knowledge. I have 
been in Jaffa and seen the Jaffa oranges and I suppose the 
Jaffa buds were brought over here and put in your orange 
trees and you have the Jaffa orange, but our Jaffa orange 
is different from the Jaffa orange. You have improved upon 
it. Will Mr. Phelp« tell me if he can indicate by analysis 
of the grape what soil produced the grape? Can your chem¬ 
istry explain those wonderful processes of nature by which 
one grape growing in the same vineyard will be entirelv dif¬ 
ferent from another growing within a few yards of it ? 
Mr. Phelps —I will answer that question by asking another. 
Can the gentleman tell me why two children, born of the 
same parents, living in the same house, eating at the same 
table, are so different in disposition, in taste, in character ? 
The best chemists are my trees. I believe to-day that there 
has been more progress in chemistry in the last five years of 
benefit to such bodies as this than was made in previous 
years. 
Mr. Avery —The chemistry of agriculture is very different 
In various localities, especially in California and in Florida. 
We know that the chemicals we are using are expected to 
