The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1900-11-08
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AGRICJLTJRISTS-
eozne Cp-to-Dass Hints About Cultiva-
tton SOIL and Yields Thereon
Horticulture. vitiaalturs and FioricuI-
Experiment.. with NitraxIn.

Experiments with NttraxIr.
Within the last three years there has
appeared on the market, in New York,
a commercial article called Nitragin-
It Is manufactured in Germany and is
shipped from there to the agents that
handle It in this country. It IS with
out doubt q good thing in itself. but
It's use in this country has been at
tended with varying success This
partial failure has been due to the fact
that Nitragin is periShable article
and can be depended on to keep only
= few months, and then it must not be
exposed to high temperatures. else it
will heat and the fermentation that
follows VIII destroy every yestige of
its value.
germs OF clover root bacteria held in
liquid. doubtless with water for its
base. The incubation OF soil takes
place when the clover seed to be sown
is dipped in this liquid a bottle OF
the liquid will soak enough seed to
SOW little over half an acre. AS we
have said. the results have not been
always good, as the liquid has fire.
Quently spoiled before it reached the
man that was to use it The reports
on it have therefore been often against
it. the inoculated seed doing no better
than the uninoculated seed Wider
experiments, however. have shown
that this Nitrag1n is of great value
when two conditions are present;
namely. If the soil is sterile OF clover
bacteria germs, and If the Mira
gen is In proper condition when
1t Is applied to the seed. Oh
course. If the field in which the clover
Is to be sown has all the bacteria it
needs the addition Of more viii be OF
no consequence. But in many sections
of the country the farmers are utterly
unable to grow clover. and il is now
son is that the soil lacks entirely the
bacterial germ growths necessary.
Professor Duggar of the Alabama Elk
pertinent Station asserts that there
has never been a plant that had dis
appointed the South more than Grim
son clover. as it had widely and per-
sistent1y failed even where 1t should
have been successful. At last it was
discovered that the only reason for it's
failure lay in the fact that the soil
on which the seed was sown had no
clover tuberc1e bacteria. Experiments
/ were undertaken at the station to dem
onstrate the fact
Four lots of ground, each one-twen-
tieth Of an acre in size. were selected.
| On lots 1 and was sown the crimson
| clover seed that had been soaked in
| Nitragin. Lots 2 and 4 received IN
| treated seed. On lots and 4 the GRIM
son made as big a failure as It had
| in most parts of the south, and much
| of what little growth it did make was
| due to a little washing of the tuberc1e
| bacteria from the other plots. Lots
| and 4 produced only weak growth
| or crimson clover two to four inches
| high and too weak and small to stand
| cutting with scythe or mower. On
| plots 1 and the growth was luxuri-
| ant. the plants being from % to &c
| inches high and we1l-branched. The
| foliage was deep green and the blooms
| plants We're yelOwfsh and the blooms
| few, small and near the ground. When
! the four plots were cut and weighed
| the contrast was seen to be great. The
| fnoculated plots had borne at the rate
| OF 14.o39 pounds to the acre. and the
/ unfnoculated plots at the rate OF :, 1893
! to the acre, or only about one-seventh
| as much as the other. This was not
| all. The experiment p1ats lay side by
! side and in narrowing some OF the in
oculated seed on plats L and was
| dragged over onto the other plots.
| Also there was some washing of the
seed from the inoculated to the unin-
| oculated plots. So it happened on
some of the edges and in a water fur
| row of the uninoculated plots the
| clover grew rank and high and was
| cut and weighed with the clover on the
/ plats on which it grew. 1t is therefore
| probable that the plots that had the
treated seed produced ten times as
much as the others.
The whole subject Is interesting as
| pointing out the cause OF frequent fail
/ ures to get catches OF clover. We
would also suggest that experiments at
| the stations be carried out with more
/ care. One would naturally ask why
| these plots were placed side by side,
/ when it is well known that bacteria
| Of any kind are easily and rapidly car
| ried for at least short distances An
/ other criticism is that the same har-
| row was permitted to be used on the
| plats. for 1t must certainly happen
| that the harrow teeth would result to
some extent in making the totals of
| the experiments uncertain
Horticultural Observations