Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-08-13
WONDERFUL INVENTION OF Ex'
PERTS IN AGRICULTURE.
ASTONlSHING.s FERTILIZER
Farmers May Enrich Their Fields
Without Cost to Themselves
Method Employed by Uncle Sam to
Protect His DiscoVeries-other
Events.

partment of agriculture to farmers
who apply for it. But it does not cost
the farmers even that much, as it is
furnished free. 1t costs about cent
to make a cake large enough to i'm
pregnate an acre of land.
The trouble with most unproductive
land. is that it has not enough nitro
gen in it. Every crop grown on the
field has taken nitrogen out of the
soil, and the next crop finds less to
feed upon. The problem of the far
mer is to get nitrogen back into the
land. There is plenty OF free nitro
gen in the air. In fact, the air is
largely made up of that gas. But to
get it out of the air, and into the prop
err combination with the other ele-
ments in the soil, is the problem.
The government has found one solu-
ton. The experts started with the
we'll known fact that a crop of clover
or COW peas rests field as the
farmers say. That is, instead of drain
ing the soil further, the clover seems
to put back the necessary elements,
so that the next year, if sown to wheat,
corn or oats, the land will bear good
crop again. The government experts
studied out the reasons, and found that
it was because clover has little
punches in its roots which contain O
large amount of nitrogen. The lunches
were examined further, and it was dis.
covered that each was a nest of bac.
terra. But these bacteria were found
to be different from the bacteria which
the doctors battle with. They are
benevolent bacteria. Instead Of go
ing about like small roaring lions seek
ing whom they may devour, they stay
at home in the clover roots and make
nitrogen. When the tops of the clover
are cut down and fed to the cows, the
roots and the nodules and the benevo-
lent bacteria stay in the comfortable
soil The roots disintCgrate; the
acteria go to sleep and wait for an
other crop of clover, and the nitrogen
mixes with the soil, and helps every
thing to grow that is planted in it.
That is what the experts of the de-
parment found about clover "resting
the land" But they also found that
some clover had no nodules in its
roots. They found that without the
nodules the clover did not rest, or
fertilize the land in the least. And
finally they found that it was due to
the absence of any of the benevolent
bacteria that there were no nodular
punches on the roots. In short, they
found that it was the industrious and
unappreciated bacterium to which all
the credit was due for the enrich
ment of the land, and that the clover
had nothing to do with it. 1t merely
happens that this benevolent bac-
terium prefers to roost in the roots of
the clover, or some such similar crop,
The COW pea or alfalfa will do as well.
They like the leguminous roots.
So Professor Albert F. Woods and
George T. Moore, of the plant industry
bureau, set about discovering some
way to make sure of a good supply of
these small animals in the roots of any
such clover crop. They bred the
bacteria in the laboratOry-madeb bill
lions of them-and then devised way
to pack them in little cakes like yeast
for bread, so they may be sent to any
part of the country. Then they took
out patents, in behalf Of the govern
ment on all the processes. Now if a
farmer wants to rest and fertilize a
field by planting it to a leguminous
crop he may get a cake of nitrogen
yeast by writing to the department
applying it according to directions, and
raise a large crop of bacteria as well
as clover. and of nitrogen. Land once
impregnated with the bacteria will so
remain for many years. They seem
to survive in the soil and the next
time clover is sown the bacteria will
be there and will start right in manu-.
featuring the desired nitrogen.
The government not only grants
patents. but often becomes itself an
applicant for a patent, and secures Z
monopoly Of its own inventions to be
used in behalf Of the public at large.
An example Of this is found in the
nitrogen yeast. The patent office has
granted three patents covering its
preparation, method Of packing and
its Misunderstanding TO make Il
effective The patents are necessarily
taken out in the name Of an empIoye
of the government. in this case one OF
the experts of the plant industry
bureau But the employe assigns the
patent 70 the government It is the
governments money that has been
spent ID making the discoveries. ana
It is considered only just that the gov
eminent should be the only bene.
ficiary. If this fertilizing yeast were
private invention there is little doubt
that some enterprising commercial
man or concern would make 1t earn a
fortune. But the patents cannot be
secured by any private concern; any.
body is at liberty to manufacture IL
The government is quite willing to fur
nish the formulate and processes. and
to let any private concerns make II