The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-07-26
FERTILIZER FROM THE AIR.
What Science Is Doing Toward Re
storing the Soil.

Did You ever stop and think how
truly the name Mother Earth applied
to this old globe of ours?
Ever since the earliest period of
life she has been furnishing nourish-
ment to all living things Man has
been living on grain, which, in it's
turn draws its sustenance from the
soil, and it is strange that he has
not realized that this old mother
| must be cared for better than she
has been.
One scientist says that within
twenty-five years three billion. two
hundred million bushels of wheat
will be required every year to feed
the world. This would require
twelve million tons of fertilizers each
year. Another said that at the pres
ent rate of wheat production, and
considering the increase in popua-
ton the world would be starving
within fifty years. He was an alarm
list, of course. but from this we can
see that something must be done
All living organisms contain some
per cent of nitrogen. Thus we can
see that the work of a fertilizer is to
furnish the earth. from which the
plants receive nourishment, with this
element
Nitrogen is gas that comprises
about four-fifths of the air we
breathe. and it would be a cruel death
for the world to starve in an mex
haustible supply of this all-import-
ant life-giver But. as the ship
wrecked sailor cannot quench his
thirst with ocean water. so mother
earth cannot live on nitrogen unless
il is taken from the air.
The problem before scientists is,
how may this be done? BY one
method they literally suck the nitro
gen out of the air by powerful
electric current and combine it with
sodium, making nitrate of soda. Ma
ture has been doing this very thing
every time we have had thunder
storm. The difference is, she com
bines it with the rain making am
monia. which is valuable as a soil
restOrer.
Man has also learned another Sc
cret remedy from nature. For years
the farmers over the land have
known that if clover Is allowed to
grow on WORKOUT field, within a
Ntdi VI NWo II Wbulu Dt lIllpu.
Many have asked, why" but no
one answered, One day German set
about to find ont for himself.
He discovered that the roots were
| covered with little swellings, which
were found to be the product of
bacteria in the soil After he had
| collected a number of the right sort
of bacteria he prepared three boxes
of sand. In the first he placed the
bacteria, in the second saltpeter. and
in the third no nitrogen at all Beans
planted in the boxes grew alike for
about a week, at the end of which
time the beans of the third planting
died in the second they grew as or
binary plants. but in the first they
thrived exceedingly well. The Sc
cret was discovered.
Our own government has taken
this matter in hand. There are large
laboratories in Washington just for
this purpose. Here a box of these
bacteria is produced, which will be
sent to any farmer who will expert
ment and report the result.
One box contains three packages.
The first wad of cotton on which
are the bacteria germs nutrient
salts. usually magnesium sulphate
and potassium phosphate.
The first package of salts is dis
solved in half gallon of water. The
wad of cotton is placed in the solu-
ton, and the whole allowed to stand
twenty-four hours. At this time the
second salt is placed therein. and the
solution, after twenty-four hours. is
ready to use. One way to use this
is to place it upon the seed; another
is to sprinkle it on the ground where
the seed is to be sown
But one important fact is that bac-
terra common to certain families will
not make their home with other va
rieties. The bacteria of alfalfa will
not live on clover roots. SO the
| farmer. if he wishes package of
bacteria must state what kind he
wishes.
These are about the most import
ant ways used or known, but by these
We can plainly see how science can
| be called life preserver.