Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-09-18
MYSTERY SOLVED az SCIENCE
Microbes Can Draw Nitrogen from
the Air and Give II TO Plants.

Microbes Can Draw Nitrogen from
the Air and Give 1t 10 Plants.
BESIDES buying wellsclectcd fertil.
Tiers. the progressive farmer of the fu-
turc will also provide himself with bot
tied billions of the microbes which en-
able plants to obtain nitrogen from the
air. 1t was long puzzle to chemists
to learn how nitrogen IL absorbed. 1t
was clear that under ordinary circun-
stances plants are unable to apprOpri.
ate directly from the air the nitrogen
they absolutely require for their
growth. The mir in the pores of the
soil contains plenty of 1t, but the roots
are not capable Of causing 1t to be-
come a constituent Of the sap or fiber.
LcguninOus plants. such as beans.
peas. and clover. require n great deal
of nitrogen. and II was of special In
tcrest to provide them artificially, IL
possible, with this important constit-
uent.
The mystery was dispelled by re-
cent discovery that the roots Of plants
capable Of absorbing nitrogen bear lit
tie prOtuberances, and It Is through
these prOtuberances that the nitrogen
IL taken In. Further study with the
Eelp Of the microscope revealed the
fact that the protuberances contain
millions of bacteria, and that It Is these
bacteria that absorb the nitrogen and
give II to the roots Of plants In n form
In which 1t can bc used by them. TO
the activity of these beneficent bacte.
ria. INDEPENDENTLY leguminous
plants-Owe their vigor and perhaps
their existence in their present form.
The plant life In this view. Is a result.
In incidental product, of the vital pro.
cesscs of microbes, million OF which
could swim with comfort in a single
drop of water. The next step was to
isolate. by methods with which bac.
teriolOgists are familiar, the varieties
of bacteria suited to ench crop. and to
breed them artificially In paying guam.
titles.
This has been done. 4 German firm
breeds seventeen species Of bacteria Of
the MISUNDERSTANDING species and
sells them to agriculturIsts In bottles
under the name Of "nltrngin." A bot.
tie containing some thousand billions
Of the useful bacteria ana selling for
S1.25. will "inoculatc." 1t Is said, mn
acre of ground. The experience Of far.
mcrs with "nitragin" Is too brief to
qualify them to speak with certainty
Of Its practical utility. Some have oh.
tnined cncOuragin results, while 9th.
crs have not. 1t has been on the mar.
ket less than year and began to Inc
used too late In the season for fair
test. "Nitrngln" ought to bc used he.
fore Il IL two months old. and Its vital.
ity Is impaired. II not wholly lost. when
II II four months old. II must bc kept
In cool place. ana Is best applied, per.
haps, mt night. since II Is injured by ex.
posture to the light. Its function Is 10
assist terminating seeds and small
roots to put forth the desired prOtuber.
nnces.
1t Is accordingly useless tor growing
plants. ana In soils already well sup
piled with nitrogen In the required
form. Under favorable conditions sew.
eral experimcnters have obtained, It Is
sald. excellent results. Cereals have
not been found susceptible to Its inilu.
encc to nm appreciable extent. Much
remains to be determined us to the OK.
tent Of Its utility. 1t Is yet undecided.
It seems. whether the seed or the soil
IL TO Ike whether the seed
should Inc mixed with the gelatinc con-
taining the "nitrngin," or whether tho
"nitrngin" should be mixed with a
quantity Of the latter scattered over
the area TO be treated. In any case.
ngrIculturists have In nitragin an In.
teresting subject Of cxpcriment.-Isal.
t!mOre Sun.