The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-06
JACK'S BEAN STALK
It's Outdone by Tate's
Bacteria Yeast.
Results OF Use Such That Dare Not
Hint at Them, Fearing to be
MObbed as Tar Heel Nun
ChauSen.
Especial to News and Observer

Especial to News and Observer
Greensboro, N. c., August 5.-Mr.
Charles Tate, a progressive farmer
and poultry raiser living near the city
exhibited today some mammoth cow
pea vines from seed planted four
weeks ago. The leaves and stalks are
immense and already the runners TO
some of the plants are three feet long.
AT the rate these runners have thus
far grown, County superintendent
| FOust who made a mathematical cal
culation this morning, says that with
no impediment, and if the ratio OF
growth since beginning is uninterrupt-
eddy continued until frost they VIII
reach the Marlboro House dining room
in Raleigh to the East, and Charlotte
to the South, completely enveloping
Greensboro in a network of vines and
foliage before the first of September.
This remarkable Vigor of the pea
plants is due to the incubation of the
soil with nitrogen bacteria which Mr..
Tate used when he sOWed the peas. AS
an evidence of the WOnderful"acceler-
alton in the plants taking nitrogen
from the air by the aid of the bac-
terra impregnated soil. aside from the
perfect stand on the land of the crop
and its remarkable growth, the little
noduleS, or nitrogen gatherers on the
roots of these plants, are as large
now at a month stage, as the pea
root under the conditions on good
soil generally are at maturity. Mr..
Sam Trogden has demonstrated on his
farm near here, that a perfect stand
of alfalfa can be obtained and heavy
growth insured by soil incubation, and
it has remained for Mr.. Tate to show
that by using prepared bacteria, peas
can be made to grow like Jacks bean
stalk. -,..t.
Mr.. Tate relates, in connection with
this nodule producing bacteria, an eX-
perience which may prove of immense
importance in another direction, and
has forwarded to Secretary of Agri-
culture Wilson, at Washington, the
facts The bacteria virus with which
he inoculated the soil came in the
shape of yeast cakes. These before
sowing the peas, he dissolved in water
soaking the seed in the dilution. BeC
fore he had completed the task of
dissolYing the cakes. he was called TO
attend to some domestic duty in the
house, and left one-half of one or the
cakes unsoaked lying on the ground.
When he returned it was gone, ana
four fine blooded Brahma hens which
had escaped from the wired yard close
by drinking water out of the tubs
showed him where the broken cake
had gone. Ever sinSe. then he has
noticed that these particular hens
have laid eggs every day without
fail and of an immense size, the hens
themselves yisibly growing in size.
With all his other hens it is Oft sea-
son. generally attributed by poultry
raisers TO dog-day summer heat.
If the experts in the Department
of Agriculture, after investigation, find
that eggs can be multiplied and hens
enlarged by this bacteria yeast, Mi.
Tate will have become the greatest
benefactor of the twentieth century,
far exceeding Rockefeller's millions to
schools and Carnegies millions for
libraries in potentialities of benefit to
the human race. BY making cheap
food for cows for milk and butter,
beef and meat, he will, with increased
hay productivity, have struck the beef
trust and the dairy trust bigger blow
than all the government Investigations
ever have or ever will. And the IN
crease in size of hens in addition to
the greater quantity of eggs and
weight of same, will make countless
millions enjoy chicken and eggs, who
were never able to indulge in the lux
ury before. If the making of two
blades of grass grow where one grew
before, entities man to the honor Of
being called a public benefactor what
must Mr.. Tate be called for having
! Hldu6 not Only Tie 6dIlAI Dul HCHo
multiply their increase fourfold?
And yet so modest and unassuming
| is he, he had to be Over-persuaded to
allow this amazing discovery to be
| published, only consenting with the
declaration: II wouldn't care anything
about it for myself, but / am proud
of my peas, my hens and my eggs. l
never would have thought of having
| all this printed, but you have per-
/ CT dad mo that might helm a hPan
of poor folks buying hay to feed
cows and steers, and eggs and chick
| ems for food. 1t must be printed
| though with the understanding that
whatever credit comes from it may go
! to Guilford county farmers and
Greensboro appreciation of up-to-date
| progress and development"