Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-10-15
THE NEW FARMING.
Bacteria to BE Used to Fertilixe the Soil
Cheaply.

Cheaply.
New discoveries tread close on each
other in the realm of microscopic or
ganisms., 1t is but few years since
the words microbe and bacteria were
made part of our language. 1t will
not be long before farmers will say my
microbes as freely as they say my pigs
or my hens or my cows. For it is no
longer the injurious bacteria that are
studied, but the advantageous; and 1t
is known that no phase of plant life can
go on successfully without the inter-
vention of these microscopic aids. SO
1t is to microbes again that we owe the
chemical changes that characterize the
dairy. The changes from fresh milk to
butter are due to the action of useful
bacteria. To sterilize milk will keep
it fresh for weeks; to expose it to
bacteria will hasten its changes of form
and quality. Milk is pasteurized or de-
microbed by heating it up to $50 de-
grees Fahrenheit. This kills the bac-
terra, after which they must be ex-
cluded by tight bottling. p. ... -.
The air is simply an ever full labora-
tory of these minute chemists; they OPP
crate on everything, ourselves included.
Health, as well as disease, is due to in
visible neighbors. In our gardens we
are learning that cultivation consists
not simply in stirring and feeding the
soil, but in adding to it or removing
from it those bacteria that affect plant
growth. 1t will not be long before
every farmer will have what he may
call his bacteria stable, as much as he
now has his horse stable. In fact, we
are likely to lose our horses, but not be
able to get on at all without microbes.
Such stable or room will hold not only
apparatus and substances for destroy
ing fungoid attacks that destroy the
right vital processes of plants, but il
will hold cultures of beneficial mi
crobes. These can be preserved and
put in useful conditions, as yeast is pre-
pared for the kitchen or pure Gull
lures" of bacteria for the dairyman.
The most recent discovery along this
line is that of the famous Prof. Noble,
of SaXony. He has made it a speciality
to prepare what we might call farmers
yeast, or bacteria, useful for plant
growth, in such form that a farmer
may sow it in his field. or otherwise
bring it into contact with the seed that
he places in the ground.
1t is only few years since it WIS
found that the leguminous plants, by
some means, could directly extract nj
trogcn from the air. On the roots Of
clover you will find small and very
beautiful nodules. These, it was sus-
pected, had something to do with the
nitrogen; but it was long while before
it was found out that these nodules
were the work of bacteria; that at first
they are parasitic growths, which
later became passive, and that then the
bacteria permeate the clover or the
bean plant and give new faculty
that of nitrogen fixation. But it is not
THE same bacteria that aids the clover
and the beans. 1t was clear that if this
power could be transferred, or inocu-
lated, just as we inoculate flour with
yeast, it would be of great value to ag-
riculture. A new field of experiment was
opened. Hereafter it would be sought
not only to destroy mischievous bac-
terra, but to multiply and transplant
the useful 1t was found that where
bacteria had worked in cooperation
with beans or clover the soil was richer
in nitrogen rather than poorer, and
that such soil could be sowed upon and
worked into other soil poor in nitrogen
to give it power to extract nitrogen
from the air. This was to cultivate
and SOW the nitrogen-feeding bacteria.
But it took from l 500 to 1000 pounds OF
such prepared soil to fertiiiZe an acre.
This was expensive and practically null
lifted the utility of the discovery.
Prof. Noble set about endeavoring to
secure a culture, that is pure product
of bacteria, or what you might call q
bacterian yeast, which could be bottled
and carried about, and stored, and
planted in any soil where it might be
wanted. The news now comes that he
has succeeded, and what he calls "Ni-
tragin" is now for sale. It can be had
for very small sum, indeed-enough
to nitragenize an acre for less than So.
This pure culture is placed in contact
with the seed before the latter is sown
and worked into the soil to a depth Of
three inches. The culture, which We
might just as well call yeast, is kept in
bottles, and must not be exposed to
light or to heat above % degrees Fair
Cnheit.-N. Y. Independent.