The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-19
MICROBES or MORTAL LIFE.
Discovery Of Micro. Organisms on Which
All Humanity Dspends-It Is Said That
No Animal or Plant Life Could Exist
without the Aid Of These Germs.

Washington, Sept. 20.--The most i'm
portant subject discussed at the meet
ing of the Association of Official Agii-
cultural Chemists in Washington was
a new discovery. which may be fairly
termed sensational This discovery
relates to u species of microbe which
actually makes plants grow. In 1t has
been found the mysterious agent by
whose aid all things vegetable are en-
abled to absorb nitrogen, which IL their
chief food. Without it's assistance
plant life would disappear entirely
from the earth. and In consequence ami
NAL life, including mankind. would per-
ish likewise. Yet this beneficent micro
organism il so small that 1t can only
be seen when magnified 500 diameters.
1t is u bacterium and u microcOccus---
that is to say, shaped like "a little ball.
An experiment Is now being made in
the breeding of these microbes by Pro-
fessor Wiley, of the chemistry divi-
sion of the department of agriculture.
They multiply at an enormous rate
when furnised with proper food, and to
produce them in indefinite quantity Is
easy. Their business In life Is to alb
sorb nitrogen from the soil and from
the air and to transform II into nitric
acid. In this shape 1t is taken up by the
tissues of the plants. which are not
able to consume the nitrogen in the
crude. Recently a trial was made with
a field of several acres In Florida. on
which nothing would grow. Analysis
proved that the soil was very rich in
nitrogen, but none of the micrococci
were present. So a small amount of
stable manure was applied thinly to
the surface of the ground. and 10! a
wonderful crop was the result.
The secret of 1t was that stable ma
nure Is full of these peculiar bacteria.
The later went to work at once upon
the nitrogen lying idle in the hitherto
barren soil and transformed 1t into
available plant food. 1t has long been
known that stable manure contained
very little plant food, and so. until now,
its great efficiency as fertilizer has
been mystery. The day may yet ar
rive when the farmer will apply So
luton CT microbes instead of q fertil-
izer to his soil. Obviously. such a
method would only be tried in cases
where the bacteria were found to be
lacking.
Without the help of microbes of this
species plants will die in the richest soil
With their assistance certain kinds of
plants are able TO absorb and utilize
the nitrogen In the atmosphere. This
is most particularly true of the peas
beans, clover and other leguminous
plants. Farmers have long known that
tCcre was no Detter way to enrich a
field than to plant II with clover, or
beans. or peas. The reason why is
simply that micro organisms of the sort
described infest these plants in great
numbers. Living in the rootlets. they
ply the trade Of agricultural chemists
on small scale. but most efficiently.
Their colonies are marked by little ex-
crescences or pimples on the roots
They are manufacturers of nitric acid
They do not live In the roots of cereals
hence the irability of rotating corn
with clover.
In furnishing nitrogen to the soil
the farmer Is supplying stuff for the
microbes to work on. 1t has been stat
ed already that nitrogen is the most
valuable of plant foods. 1t is also the
most expensive. costing from 16 to IL
cents pound. Sometimes it Is applied
to the land In the shape of waste from
packing establishments and abattoirs
scraps of intestines. etc. which are
boiled to get out the oil and finally dried
and ground. At the slaughter house
nothing Is wasted. Every drop of blood
is saved. to be dried and ground. Dried
blood Is the best of all materials for
yielding nitrogen. 1t may be said in q
rough way that nitrogen makes the
flesh of plants, while phosphoric acid
makes the fat.