The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-17
BACTERIA HELP FARMERS.
RECENT DIscOpERIEs Az TO TEE
NUTRITION or PLINTS.
The Needed Nitrogen Supplied In the Soil
by Colonies of Minute Organisms Meth
DDS Pound OF Aiding These Colonies
--EN pe rimen mt Lnrd Rnsehe rx,. EARN.


| DDS Pound of Aiding These Colonies
Experiments ut Lord Rosebery's Farm.
Science is learning moro and more about tho
important part for good evil played In tho world q
economy b. those insignificant organisms. bacli
and bacteria. Some interesting experiments in
scientific farming have lccn In progress recently
, mt Lord 1tpseberys Scottish estate, Dnln,cny
Park. under the direction Of John Hunter r. L
G., 7. C. s. 10 determine the part which bacteria
play in the nutrition Of plant life and the hest
methods Of promoting plant growth. These
experiments arc described in an article in the
4 current numbcr ~ the Nineteenth C'eniugn
The experiments were begun In 1895 and were
the outcome Of observations upop plant life which
Mr. Hunter and Prof McAlpinc began about
eighteen years ago when they ere both lecturers
In the Edinburgh agricultural curriculum Mr.
hunter was a chemical analyst and lecturer on
agricultural chemistry and brewing science and
Prof McAlpne was lecturer on botany aud botan-
ical advisor L. the Highland and Agricultural
Society of Scotland. Mr Hunters researches
inio the mysteries Of the fermentation Of beer
naturally turned his attention To the impprtancs
IN such chemical processes ~ having present
only the proper forms Of act,iating oresnisms
! and when he and Prof. Nc ilpinc discovered
mat the nodlcs on the roots OF leg luminous plants
| were the homes OF colonies of bacteria IL struck
ticm mat II might be az important 10 cultivate
III SOILS the right CROPS 81 soil bacteria II is to
nave The right fermenis in beer. Ivy means III
careful series Of experiments they were able 10
demonstrate that the bacteria Of the root noiules
lossessed the power Of absorbing free nitrogen
from the mir fixing 1t and rendering IL ayailabls
Tor tho nutrition Of the plant The Importance
Of this discovery lay in the fact that whereas
plant life nbsorbs large quantities Of heterogeneous
products from the soil and these are carried away
IN the crops and lost they are the most di6hcuit
nnd costly vi the soil clements 10 replace Tho
atmospheric air contains about three parts out OF
io,ir Of nitrogen. but science has not vet found
,b n,nT n,.i way OF catching and nHinx H. al
ana money IN the search The nitrate beds of
south America and the, nmmonncal products
outside Il The bar2yard manure Bed aud these csc
Of acres Of lands have gone barren for lack OF
ni'r9gcno,s manurine when all the ether Gle ments
bacteria be sci AT work rrsLing nltrates the ereat
problem 81 ier'izn'i9n would be Tacticaly solved,
Prof. McAlpinc proceeded TO carry out an invcsti
CATION regarding the nltrifying bacteria. They
Of these organisms and succeeded in isoi.t ing
ana cultvaung number Of them. These did
not all produce ni,rates in the way or through
the same process, some Of them being de nom ated
nitrous germs by the investiga tors, while others
were called nitrate germs. The former did the
puzzled them for they could not induce the organ
isms TO produce nitratcs in any Of the ordinary
lime in the form Of old mortar 10 the culture
medium they found that the bacteria produced
hltfa,cs The practical application Of these
observations appeared soon in their lectures
They denounced the plan then evalent with
many farmers 81 applying heavy dressings Of
claring that the cnustic lime killed the useful
bacteria in the soil. and they recommen ded in
compost or carbonate of lime TO the surface soil
wheIe II would aid the bacteria to produce tho
They also found that these lime compounds
In the surface soil served q further important
Bep9's By preventing, rev mt The soluble siS.s from
thus making the stalks Of grain hard, britils
and lacking IN feed qualities. Their teachings
1898 that Mr. Hunter got a chance To put them
to The YES, Of practical Gypcrienee. AMr Drysdae
agent M Dalmcny Park and began some eI.
perimen,s ON his own hook and finding these
in The spring Of 1895 a well equipped lobcyatnIy
was lifted UP and Mr Hunter was put In charge
TO testing the'rcativc productiycncss Of difercnt
klnds ot ;raln, potatoes and other crops. part
To bac,cri ogical research and the remainder
course rotation. each section being subdiyided
into sixteen ra,s,, which were ali differently
manurcd On regular system.
In the INST season the beneficial results Of a
small dressing "i ground lime were so marked
farm Of an annual dressing q four hIndredStiebs
81 lime was begun and this has brcn continued
'N'r tlHC'. ~ Ufht TINS was applied IN COM
post form but 1t was found that IL could be applied
hot when the land was bling worked. A. the guam
MY was E A.! enough 70 KIN ,hc bacteria and IL
In the soil The lime used was burned shells.
me- hnncn,ily ground to powder Besides tbs
production 81 nitrogen in the soil 1t was found
that on land thus med the crops we're much bet
used han on land Supplied Silh innate nag az sS s
The experiments have also emphasized the i'm
por,ancc e potash in the soil for every crop and
and I'd iar the lcguinenGus plants;
supplemented with four hundred weight az ground
ilmr' applied AT thu time Of working the land and
followed by four hnndrcdweisht Of super phoe-
two hundrcdweiSht Of KANT and one hundred
TTrigh! Of sulphatc If ammonia. the writer in
farm, produces crops which are the admiration
OF all who see them In recent years Psychological
that in The srea, cycle Of change from The organic or
mater IN The soil To the elaboratcd products which
az, at nhsoTbsd by the roots q The plant thu baeer.
employed II is now a proved scientific fact
,h ,S The dcc%mes,,%,n q Organic matter in the
SOL Is due to bacterial action To 'hc action Of tho
various groups of soil organism
rs %,s| an ,o'r f TACT 'ha ill., msr'k.
clovers, hcans: peas, ,",chcs, &c. are the camp
ing grounds Of Tyriats OF bacteria which possess
zen II The aimnspfcrc and render /, available
for the Use If the plant chronological science
has asn proved that causiir lime will destroy tho
nitriiying snd other advantageous soil urgA MEMS
"hcrrns carbonate II lime such as is found in lime
is hghl, beneficial 10 these advanta-
gcnns soil organisms, and in fact due proportion
81 lime compounds ~ the surface soil where these
"rEanisms are found in greatest numbers and in
greatest activity, Is absolutely essential 10 the due
discharge o! their functions The bringing about.
,hcrcfre, in The soil of those conditions which
favor the development and action o those nitrify-
Ing and other advantageous organisms IL the
great ain ana end II scientific mhnurinG, for tho
fnrmyard and artificial manurcS applied 20 the
soil are MOI taken M direct by the plants but go In
he hts place 10 feed crops Of soil hactcrs, which
in turn provide the highly elaborated matcrials
Ia I've absorbed by tho roots nf the plant"
SERTED TIME EOR MS rRyFyD