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Show SOIL FERTILITY. It will no doubt be remembered by most of our readers that the Bureau of Soils of the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture," a few years ago, issued a bulletin in which they took the ground that the depiction of the soil fcrtiHty was not due to a lack of mineral elements in the soil, but rath cr due to an accumulation of excreta from the p'ants themselves. The conclusions from the experiments and work advocated by the Bureau of Soils was that a proper rotation of crops would result in keeping the soils fertile. The view of the Department did not meet with ready acceptance. Indeed In-deed many of the best authorities in the United States, including -Dr. Hopkins of the Illinois University, Director Thome of the Ohio Experiment Experi-ment Station, and many others, were very vigorous in their denunciation of these theories. Dr. Hopkins immediately im-mediately began a campaign of education edu-cation a'ong these lines. He has issued is-sued a number of bulletins and made many addresses along these linds, and has so strongly fortified himself in the position that the Department is wrong, that it would seem to us that the men in the Bureau of Soils would feci a deep humiliation. Mr. Milton Whitney, who is chief of the Bureau, has. long been regarded regard-ed by most of our scientific men as a weakling in the field of soil study. To our mind the retention of Prof. Whitney by secretary Wilson, mott seriously reflects upon the administration. adminis-tration. A committee appointed by the American Am-erican Association of Agricultural Chemists unanimously support Prof. Hopkins in his position. Those who are interested in this subject would do well to secure a copy of University of Illinois buler-in buler-in no. 123. t |