The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-04-14

TCBEEcLEs on CovFE ROOTS.
waters and in some other ways. IS by
identification and tie blowing ana
washing Of surface soil.
Considering that there are about 80
O0aWo pounds u atuosr le-ic nitrogen
resting uaon every acre q land and
that il i possible 10 obtain unlimited
quantities Of nitrogen from tie air Tor
tie use Of farm crops a2j a. q very
small cost, The inevitable conclusion 5
that the air : the store from which
we must draw 10 maintain the most
profitable crop Yields.
L : often stated thar .eEuui1ous
plants. such IS clover. have power 70
obtain free nitrogen from Tie ar. This
IS not strictly true. Red clover for
example. las 70 power = Itself % get
nitrogen from the air. L : tue. how
ever. that the microscopic organisms
which commonly live il tube-cles upon
the roofs Of the clover plant DO have
tie power 10 take free nitrogen from
tie air and cause il 10 unite with other
elements 70 form compounds Suital BE
for plant food. Tie clover plant then
draws upon this combined nitrogen n
the root 1ube-cles and makes Use Of i
IL Is OWE growth both in tie tops and
in tie roofs Of the plant
These nitrogen gathering bacteria
live IN ruberc.eS upon the roots Of va
rious leguminous plants. such as red
clover. waite clover. alfalfa. sweet clio
Yer. cowpeas soy beans. veTch. field
peas. garden peas. field and garden
beans. etc. These Tubercles vary il
size from q pt1head 10 : pea, being
very large upon cowpeaS and soy
beans The tubercles are Of course
easily seen with the eye. The bacteria
themselves may be seen by means Of
the most powerful microscope. Several
million bacteria may inhabit 3 single
tubercle. II has been demonstrate
that there are different species Of bac-
terra for different species Of plants.
The cut shows q cowpea root with
tubercles upon i, Of which the natural
size o. about as large as the seed OF
ordinary garden peas. II Is doubtful II
II Is necessary or even worth Will:
with covpeas 70 inoculate the sol
Some few tubercleS almost invariabl!
develop on cowpea roots the first yeaT
they are seeded, even when they have
never been grown before, and # seeded
the second year on the same land The
plants are usually abundantly fur
nished with root rube7cles
Just why the covpea bacteria devel-
op so rapidly even without special in
oculation is not definitely known. II
seems likely that the bacteria are
brought with the seed. IS q matter Of
fact. the covpea harvest is usuali7
dirty. The crop Is grown on recent!
plowed land and Is sometimes cult
waited. Cowpeas are commonly har-
vested with q moving machine and
then raked W on loose ground. When
they are thrashed more or less dirt re
mains with the seed. Furthermore
the seed coats are not infreQuently
cracked. thus providing an excellent
place for the Judgment Of particles Of
soil.-Dr. Cyril G. Hopkins. illinois
Experiment Station.
The Permanent Novel.
'sThe novel that has inherent and
permanent value that will secure for il
& place in literature" said q yell
known author few days ago. rarely
exceeds an edition Of ten or fifteen
thousand copies. and more often the
limit is 5000. while the one that IS
. ephemeral but catches the public fan
ev. may have a sale Of fifty or hun
dred thousand. Books of the latter class
put money into the pockets Of both au-
thor and publisher, but it does not
/ come from the most discriminating
/ readers. OF the class in question the
1 field is limited. and. while they estab-
/ fish the reputation and permanent val
ue Of the really literary production
/ they are not included in the clientele Of
the author who is willing TO sacrifice
/ quality and style 10 increase his reve-
/ nues from royalties. The novel that at
tains a wide but brief popularity does
not appeal 10 the literary class"
Fruitful Normandy.
A traveller in France writes: Nor
/ mandy is sweet. clean. green and pros
porous. Its iris crowned matches are
the most beautiful. its posy gardens
the most sedulously nurtured and its
4 farmyards the most enchanting in all
France. Its COWS are sleek and good
mixers. its horses world famous and
its blond women-even those seasoned
by fed labor-aiways sphinxAke and
often fair. 1t is attractive, sensuous-
iy speaking. ST every season. and the
Normans. with al their droll fears for
their DocketbooSs. are not bad cou-
panY in tie long run