The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-05-10
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1905.
NEGOTIATING THE SOIL.

Science has come to aid the farming
community in raising crops upon land
which, in its natural condition, lacked
the necessary elements for producing
certain forms of vegetation. The
United States department of agricul.
ture announced some time ago that 1t
would distribute bacteria for the pur.
pose of inoculating soil that could
not be made to produce alfalfa, peas
and other leguminous crops, and
those who secured a supply of this
remedy for exhausted soil pronounce
it one of the most valuable discoveries
Of recent times. 1t is believed that
other forms of bacteria will soon be
discovered that can be applied to land
deficient in fertility necessary to the
production of various kinds of GER
eals and forage plants.
Some interesting information re.
garding this new development in
scientific farming is given by an
official of the Indiana experiment
station, who says many highly ex.
travagant claims for incubation
are being made by INSCRIPTIONS
concerns advertising the materials
for sale, and the farmer is led to
believe that inoculating the seeds
of legumes, or the soil upon which
they are to be grown, with certain
forms OF bacteria, is all that is
required to make them produce enor.
nous crops, besides wonderfully en-.
riching the soil. These claims are In
nearly all cases very far beyond the
truth, and many farmers are being
induced to spend money for something
which will not produce what is claimed
for it.
II Is quite true that leguminous
plants, of which the clovers are famil-
lar examples, require large quantities
OF nitrogen for their. proper develop.
ment. 1t is also true that through the
agency of certain forms of bacteria,
which live on their roots, these lie.
gumes can secure their needed nitro
gen from the air in the soil. The bac.
terra live upon the;Ifine rootlets of the
plants and produce small tubercules
or nodules in which the nitrogen OF
the air is elaborated into forms in
which 1t is available t o the plants.
Each legume has a form OF bacteria
peculiar to itself. Whether or not
this is present a be easily ascer-
tanned by examining the very fine
rootlets for the nodules.
The introduction of the bacteria is
called incubation. Such incubation,
however, Is necessary only in localities
where the legume to be grown is new
to the soil. 1t may be effected either
by the use Of pure cultures, such as
are advertised (if they are genuine J,
or by scattering owe the field q small
quantity q hundred pounds or more
per acre Of soil.from a field where the
particular legume to be grown has
been successfullyIproduced. When in.
0%culation has once been effected,
whether by nature or by artificial
means, the soil will always produce
the crop SO long as other conditions
are right, even though the crop may
be absent for years at IL time, and fur.
%thermore, that soil can be used to in.
oculate other fields.
In Indiana, alfalfa, for instance, is
a comparatively new crop, and the
soil in most cases does MOI contain the
necessary bacteria. incubation is.
therefore,, necessary wherever the crop
il to be grown for the first time. In
the case of clover, however, the crop
has been SO long and widely produced
in the state that the bacteria must be
everywhere, and fresh incubation is
not necessary. Many farmers who
find clover failing on their farms are
grasping at this idea of incubation
as a remedy. They are spending good
money for nothing.
Wherever clover has been success.
fully grown and now fails, or does not
produce profitable crops, the failure
is most likely due to Il lack of mineral
plant foods in available forms, or an
imperfect physical condition of the
soil, or both. This has been brought
about by long continued systems of
injudicious cropping, by the removal
of all crops from the soil without
making any returns in the way of
manures or fertilizers, and by poor
or improper tillage. The remedy
must be sought for, not in incubation,
but in the use of or fertile.
ers, better crop rotations and better
tillage.
BUTTE, May g. Mrs. Elizabeth
AG>-~l~~~