The first thing Humboldt did upon arrival was tour the farmlands, inspecting the "large farm implements" Rorschach's men had developed.
During the tour, Master Humboldt wanted to do as he did elsewhere and take a pinch of soil to taste its quality. Eating soil was one of the Tower of Forest's methods for assessing soil conditions, but here, Rorschach and Andre frantically dissuaded him. After all, the fields were treated with fertilizers and pesticides for the seedling stage. If normal soil was like vodka, then Kempson's current soil was a "specialty cocktail"—a potent mix of organic and inorganic salts. Even a Great Mage would get dizzy from a taste.
The fertilizer was produced in Lansite, but there was no need to show Master Humboldt the specific manufacturing process. He was no Alchemy Master; it was enough to present the finished product and its results, and ask for his evaluation from the perspective of his own expertise.
