Ames, Iowa
This page is part of Henry’s USA Rail Trip.
Friday August 29th 1958
Lettercard “Greetings from Iowa” from Henry’s collection of souvenir postcards. (Published by Hamilton Photo Co., Ames, Iowa.)
Lettercard “Greetings from Iowa State College” from Henry’s collection of souvenir postcards. (Published by Hamilton Photo Co., Ames, Iowa.)
Spent a very interesting day at Ames. It has one of the largest Agronomy Depts anywhere (Agronomy – Soil Microbiology and Agricultural applications: fertilizers, organic manuring etc). Also visited the Soil Testing Laboratory, where farmers send soil samples to have tested to see whether they are infertile or not and likely to give reduced crop yields. Predictions are made as to the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and lime required to be added. Dr Frederick then showed me the field plots of corn (i.e. maize) and soya beans and sorghum, neither of which I have seen before, and then invited me to his home for supper. I have found all the scientists I have visited to be very hospitable, a tour like this (and the other one I made previously by car) shows one how hospitable the American scientists are, and sets a standard quite equal to the British, and I think higher than ours.
