Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1905-03-31

"TO isolate, to breed aud to coli
onise these nItrogen-fxing germs
80 that they might be shipped to
all quarters of the globe was the
problem, aud the Professor sue
ceeded i'll part. He produced what
he called "Nitragin," which was
widely advertised and sold enor-
mously. But, although there were
instances of phenomenal success,
OH the whole Nitragin was de.
plorable failure.
ut was at this point that DR..
Geo. T. Moore, in charge of the
Laboratory of Plant Physiology,
Department of Agriculture, took
up the invention and made it
practicable.
1.-THE lnoculating material is
sent to the farmer by the Govern
ment for experimental purposes
in three packages. The first and
the third packages are the media
of food by which the farmer can
multiply the germs, the entire
procedure, according to the de-
partment's directions, being as
follows:
put one gallon of water, pre-
ferably rain water, i'll clean
tub or bucket and add No. / of
the packages of salts--contaiuing
granrilated sugar, potassium phos-
plate, and magnesium sulphate.
Stir occasionally until dissolved.
Carefully open package No. 2
containing bacteria---ahd drop
the enclosed cotton into the solu-
ton. Cover the tub with paper
to protect from dust and set aside
i'll a warm place for twenty-four
hours. Do not heat the solution
or you will kill the bacteria
it should never be warmer than
blood-heat.
After twenty-four hours, add
the contents of package No. g.
containing ammonium sulphate.
Within twenty hours more the So
luton will have a cloudy appear
snce and Is ready for use.
TO INooULATE SERBS
"Take just enough of the solu-
ton thoroughly to moisten the
seeds. Stir thoroughly 80 that all
seeds are touched by the solution.
Spread out the seeds in shady
place until they are perfectly dry,
aud plant at the usual time just
as you would untreated seed. The
dry cultures as sent from the
laboratory will keep for several
month. Do not prepare the liquid
culture more than two or three
days previous to the time when
seeds are to be treated, as, once
the solution has been made, it
must be used up within forty
eight hours.
TO INoCULATE SOIL
"Take enough dry earth, so that
the solution will merely moisten
it. Mix thoroughly so that oil the
particles of the soil are moIstened.
Mix this earth with four or five
times as much untreated earth.
Spread this inoculated earth thin
ly and evenly over the field exact
ly as if spreading fertilizer. This
should be done before blowing, or
else the inoculateds seed should be
narrowed in Immediately.
"Either of the above methods
may be used, as may be most con-
venient.
"But the nitrogen fixing bacteria
work still other wonders, for they
are not of use merely for the pur-
poses of raising leguminous crops.
Already it has been t1ld how the
legumes enrich the soil by bring
ing back nitrogen to it. The iden-
teal bacteria that increase the
harvest of these plants tenfold and
more, enable them to store in
finitely more nitrogen in the soil
than would ordinarily be the case.
In short, the bacteria increase the
legumlnous crops tenfold, and the
leguminous crops are proportion
ately more active in enriching the
soil. A crop of uninoculated GRIM
son clover adds 4.3 pounds of nj
trogen to an acre. A crop Of
inoculated crimson clover adds
1887 pounds.
''It is impossible to foretell how
much the invention of DR.. Moore
will increase the crops of the
United States, or those of the
world-for the bacteria are appli-
cable without regard to climate or
country. In the opinion of agri-
cultural scientists, not in the his
tory of the Department of Agri-
culture has there been q more
promising development"
The following figures show the
advantage of incubation:
CHRONOLOGICAL yield per acre,
\ 4 "a