The herald., 1895-07-11

(3) "It.does not require very close
scanning Of the two corresponding col
umns to note their utter incompatibility.
Aside from the unexplained anomaly
that in all cases Dr.. Woodbridge's SAM
pies showed from one to over two per
cent more Of sugar aloneithan Of total sol
ids leaving less than 20 room for the cit
ric acid inquest ionablv present, the very
basis of comparison, the unmanured lot
shows In our samples to have the high
est solids as well as the sugars, instead
of the lowest, as in DR.. Wood BRIDGES col
umn. But even supposing, that there had
teen mistake in packing and nun ber-
ing this particular sample. comparisons
between the relative effeots of the several
fertilizers give 'concordant results only in
the case Of nitrate Of soda and Superphos.
phate, which in both series were practi-
cally identical as REGARDS sugar. The fig.
ures for sugar in the complete fertilizer
case are also nearly identical. but larger
amounts Of sugar are found in two other
cases in the Australians series. The ap-
parent increase OF sugar which has been
noted from the use Of potash salts by Mr..
Wilbur OF Riverside, appears also in that
series. but not in that Of DR.. Woodbridge
when compared with several others.
~ These discrepancies are not at all
surprising to those conversant with the
record of plot expert mentation. The
mathematical demonstrations OF one
season are SO frequently upset by the ex-
perience of the next that nowhere must the
saying that 'one swallow does not
make a summer' be more urgently re-
ment station In England it has taken
from thirty to forty years to demonstrate
some of the most elementary questions,
the accidental and seasonal influences be-
ing gradually overborne by the Number
OF test years. There, too. OF late. it has
been found that the results Of soil analy-
sis corresponded markedly with those Of
have been greatly shortened if this
method had been resorted to at first.
Above all things. however. Sir John
Lawes has always practiced the funda-
mental rule Of investigations, viz: that
the normal must be known before the
abnormal can be demonstrated.
40 In the absence Of any tests OF the
differences in competition that oranges
from different trees may show in differ
ent seasons, the very founoation Of DR..
Woodbridgs's tests is lacking. and con-
slider his series as we'll as that made at
this station. a. of very little definite
value in showing the best kinds Of fertil-
XXX to be applied even in the soil ndar of the
stand that the use of omplete fertilizer
is pretty sure to hit the mark to a greater
or less extent, when the plant-food sup
ply is at fault. But the unnecessary ex-
pense incurred in carrying Goals to New
castle. while unobjectionable to the fer
tiiizer manufacturer; is SO serious mat,
ter to the grower, that in the Old World
every energy of the experiment stations
is directed toward its restriction to what
is really needful. Among the many ex-
tended investigations on this subject is
report of over 200 pages by Prof. Leifb-
scher of the University Of Gottingen, of a
seven-year series of systematic culture
tests made at that station. on the same
plots, with number Of the most import
ant culture plants.
(6.) "His first statement is that, asor-
dinarily managed and interpreted. tests
commonly lead to the most contradictory
results and conclusions, and that in order
to gain definite information from them it
ts necessary to apply to them the prin-
ciples of the calculus Of pro ba bilities. This
he does With manifestly useful results for
agricultural practice; but at the end he