The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1900-11-16
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AoRtCULTURtSTS.
rrrerlm.nt, rlth Nllr,rIr.

Experiments with Niirarip.
within the last three years there has
appeared on the market. In New York.
commercial article called Nitragin.
u is manufactured in Germany and Is
shipped from there to the agents that
handle it In this country. II is with
out doubt a good thing In itself. but
lis use In this country has been at
tended with varying success. This
partial failure has been due to the fact
that Nitragin Is porlshable article
and can be depended on to keep only
a few months. and then 1t must not be
exposed to high temperatures. else II
will heat and the fermentation that
follows will destroy every vostige OF
its value.
This Nitrngin consists OF minute
germs OF clover root bacteria held In
liquid. doubtless with water for rs
base. The incubation Of soil takes
place when the clover seed to be sown
ia dipped In this liquid A bottle Of
tho liquid will soak enough seed to
SOW a little over half an acre. As we
have Gaid. the results have not been
always good. as the liquid has fire.
quonuy spoiled before II reached the
man that was 10 uso H. The reports
on II have therefore been often against
II. the inoculated gecd doing no better
than the uninoculated seed Wider
experiments. however. havo shown
that thls Nltragln is OF great value
whom two conditions are present;
namely, II the soil IL sterile OF clover
bacteria germs. and u tho Mira
zen Is In proper condition whom
II is applied to tho seed. or
course. II the Geld IN which the clover
Is 10 be sown has all the bacteria Il
needs the addition OF more will be Of
no consequence But In many sections
OF the country the farmers are utterly
unable to grow clover. and II "a now
quite concluslycly proven that the rea-
son Is that the soil lacks entirely the
bacterial germ growths necessary.
Professor Duggar OF the Alabama Ex-
pertinent station asserts that there
has never been plant that had dis
appointed tho South more than Grim
ton clover. as Il had widely and per-
slstently failed even where IL should
have been successful At last II was
discovered that the only reason for lts
failure lay In the fact that the soil
on which the seed was aown had no
clover tubercle bacteria. Experiments
were undertaken at the station 10 dem
onstrate the fact.
-Four lots OF ground. each one-twen-
tleth OF an acre In size. were selected.
On lota 4 and was sown the crimson
clover seed that had been soaked In
Nltragin. Lots and 4 received I'M
treated seed, On lots and the Grim
son made as biz a failure an II had
In mos, parts OF the south. and much
Of what little growth II did make wna
due 70 a little washing OF the tubercle
bacteria from the other plots. Lots
and 4 produced only weak growth
OF crimson clover two 20 four Inches
high and too weak and small TO stand
cutting with scythe or mower. On
plots ! and the growth was luxurl.
ant, the plants being from 20 to &c
inches high and well.branched. Tho
foliage was deep green ana the blooms
were brilliant. On tho other plots the
plants were yollowish and tho blooms
few. small and near the ground. When
the four pl.ts were cut and weighed
tho contrast was seen 10 be great The
inoculatod plots had borne az the rate
Of 1909 pounds 10 tho acre. and tho
uninoculAted plots az the rate OF 1928
TO the acre. or only about one-seventh
AZ much as the other. Thh was not
all. The experiment plaH lay side by
side and In narrowing some OF the in
oculated seed on plats l and 3 was
dragged over onto the other plots.
Also there was soma washing OF the
seed from tho inoculated TO tho unin-
oculated plots So II happened on
some OF the edges and In n 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 II grew. II Is therefore
probable that the plots that had the
treated seed produced ten times as
much "a the others.
The whole subject Il interesting as
pointing out the cause OF frequent fail
ures W 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 sldo by side.
when II 10 we'll known that bacteria
OF any kind are easily and rapidly car
ried for at least short distances. An
other criticism Is that the same bar
row was permitted to be used on the
plats, for II must certainly happen
that the harrow teeth would result TO
some extent In making the totals OF
the experiments uncertain.