The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1903-10-23

subject or soil incubation u vii bot
seem 20 marvellous.
In 1885 a German scientist He'll
rlegel. announced that he had d.icoy-
cred that there exist in the aoll vast
number OF minute microscopic oigan'
lsms which make their homes 10 tu-
bercles, or nodules, on the roots OF
leguminous plants. such ~ cloyers'
vetches. peas. beans and locust uets.
These little creatures. he showed. per-
form a valuable service for the pants
In which they live. They pay for
their subsistence by catching from the
air nitrogen which the legumes could
not themselves take into their systems
In gaseous form, reducing Il 10 4 nj
trnte IN combination with some cher
element taken up from the ground.
and the legumes easily digest this
plant food and make rapid and lux
urlant growth.
All this was taken up quickly by
scientists throughout the world. and
especially In this country. Hunirds
OF experiments were carried forward.
and II Is now Fundamentally eiinb-
llshed that this Ia one OF the greatest
discoveries known TO scientific aud
practical agriculture.
Nitrogen Is the most expensive fer
tillzer required in farming. The rer-
age price per pound II seventeen ents,
while phosphorus and potash, the two
other requisite fertilizers. are 10 be
had for two and three cents a pound.
on every square inch OF the cafth's
surface there rests n column OF nlfeon-
slstlng largely OF nitrogen and Weigh
ing about fourteen pounds. With this
nj hand. and with the means to atch
Il, the farmer has most abundant
source Of the most important fertilizer
he needs.
The way In which the Government
intends TO make use OF thep parlcu-
lar bacteria Is by propagailng Them
under artificial conditions and sealing
them out in small quantities lnallparts
OF the country for the use Of turner's.
A large laboratory has been prollded
IN Washington with n competent star
OF bacterioioglsts who have npndy
made nearly all preparations foi the
work proposed. In small pasteboard
box four inches by six aud hilf an
inch deep. they win be sent fwp wher-
ever the United States mail goes. TO
the farmer who desires 20 intqince
legumlnous crop hitherto irpicssible
OF culture in his region.
The box win contain three B'Anges
done up IN tin foil In one Is ilwad
Of cotton on which the cultures or
germs Of the bacteria have been dried
and in the other two are nuirlen' salts
which are usually magnesium subhate.
potassium phosphate or ammmlum
phosphate. with a small mlttue OF
sugar to solldlfy and hold the eunures.
A sheet OF instructions and frnked
envelope accompany the package,
The department asks every farmer
who receives cultures In this way to
take notes on the result OF his cxperi-
ment and report. The instructions are
simple and practically admit n no
failure. Package No 1 OF the nuuient
salts Is first 10 be dissolved IN q half
gallon OF pure water at ordinary tenn
pcrature. The salts dissolve In very
few minutes. Then the wad Of cotton
IL to be placed in the solution and left
to stand for twenty-four hours, and
next the other package OF nutrient
salts is emptled into the solution In
another twenty-elght hours the cultures
are ready for use The solution. II no
mishnp has occurred, Will have turned
n milky cloudy white very much like
the liquor OF oysters.
There are two ways in which the
cultures may be applied. The appli-
cant must specify what particular va
rlety OF legumlnous crops he desires
TO establish. II has been found that
the bacteria common 10 certain am
lilies OF legumos win not mike heir
home on the roots OF red clover The
BACTERIA on red clover. however. will
lnoculate white clover, crimson clover,
nlsike, buffalo clover and all Of the
trlfollum cloyers. The bacteria ON
bird clover, which Is common IN some
parts OF the country. win inoculate
alfalfa, The bacteria OF soy beans
will work on cow peas and similar
members Of the bean family.
The first way OF applying the cul-
lures Is TO spread the seed out thlnly
on the table and sprinkle the solution
over It; then, when dry, to sow as
usual. The other way is 10 take a
quantity OF soil In place out Of me
sunshine, sprinkle the solution over II.
STIR Il up aud scatter Il broadcast over
tNe ground 10 be seeded.
puccessful incubation can be secur,d
b. taking soil from a thrifty aeld ~
leEumes such as alfalfa. clover ~
vel,hes and scattering II over The he'd
where either OF these crops may Ne de.
sired. owing 20 the cost OF freight
this Is an expensive method. but It
has been practlced with success many
times.
The experiment stations IN Illinois
and Ohio, after years OF failure TO
establish alfalfa sent out beyond the
Missouri and secured quantities Of
soil from fine fields OF alfalfa and
then succeeded 90 making alfalfa crow.
These stations have In turn smnlled
earth Tor nocul0,lue purposes TO farm.
crs and other stations further cast.
This method "a one which the indlyld.