Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-05

that come from Algeria, Siberia and
from the interior of China, and the
south of Africa, from the mountains
of Peru and the plains Of Australia
| to be used for the benefit Of the Amer
lean farmer have to be gone over by
careful hands. In this way we have
gotten our durum wheat, which Is rev.
olutionizing farming in the arid re-
gions, prose and emmer Egyptian
rice, and a dozen other exotics which
are becoming staples Of American
farm industry.
Plant Food From Air.
But the most important achievement
of the scienti;ts of the department Of
agriculture Is N discovering method
of obtaining plant food from the air.
Benjamin Franklin drew the lightning
from the clouds and for hundred and
fifty years we have looked back to him
as the father of electrical science.
The department of agriculture Is do
ing quite as important work by
somewhat similar method, although
not quite as spectacular in Its mani
festations. We have read from time
to time lugubrious articles based upon
supposed danger of nitrogen famine.
We have been told that the nitrate
beds of Peru were rapidly becoming
exhausted, that the Guano Islands
were few in number and small In ex-
tent, and that the unavoidable out
come must be famine and world wide
ruin because Mother Earth had for
untold thousands Of years been giving
up her store Of nitrogen to supply
plant life. We knew we were living
and breathing In an ocean Of nitrogen
but the way to bring the need and the
supply together was the problem
| Meanwhile the farmers, every fall and
spring, have been spending many
weary hours of>precious time carting
to their fields expensive fertilizers to
do a work which nature had means OF
doing far more effectively. Agricul-
turists knew that alfalfa, clover and
COW peas would renovate wornout
land. We knew that white beans
would grow on Cape Cod. Gradually
we found out, and indeed years ago,
that these and other leguminous plants
had on their roots nodules or knuckles
to which were attached little bacteria
which performed quasi-chemical
function and transmitted the nitrogen
of the atmosphere into plant food.
And we knew, too, in a general way,
that these bacteria could be cultivated
like the antitoxine. Then we learned
that II these bacteria existed In the
soil in abundance they affixed them
selves to the roots Of the plants In
greater numbers and drew down more
Of the life giving nitrogen. With this
as a clue, the German department OF
agriculture, several years ago, started
series Of experiments in an effort to
reproduce the bacteria. They could
grow the bacteria and produce the
culture, but before they got to the
hands of the farmers they had lost
their power. Then we discovered that
In China and Japan there was soil
which contained these germs In abun-
dance, and that they would multiply
very rapidly. So we brought over ship
loads Of the soil from the Orient, but
this was too expensive and ineffective.
Within the last few years our farmer
friends in the department have been
making a preparation from which the
farmer himself could grow the culture
and reproduce the bacteria And they
will send you, upon the properly au-
thenticated request, three little tubes,
the contents Of which you will mix
and put in a pail Of warm water, and
then subdivide and subdivide until you
have billions of the nitro-fixing bac-
terra, as they are called. You then
take a watering pot and sprinkle the
seeds you want to plant with! the solu-
ton. This can be done in the winter
time or on days when other work does
not press When the seed terminates
the bacteria start to grow and devel-
| op in countless numbers and the
plant draws all its food through these
little spores, not downward through
the soil, but upward through the air.
If it is preferred you can drive a
sprinkling cart over the field and treat
the soil itself In the same way, but
the seed treatment seems to be the
best so far.
A Wonderful Experiment.
Among experiments which were
tried to illustrate this principle was
one which will appeal to the New
Englander. A glass jar of powdered
silica or sand, absolutely destitute Of
soil, was procured, the sand was heat
ed to eliminate any possible soil con-
tained, and was then covered with
water. In the sand were planted some
white beans which were treated with
the culture, and the result was re-
markable growth Of vegetation ana
crop. Today 1t has become something
more than a laboratory experiment,
and enough to fertilize the seed for an
acre can be furnished at the cost or
one cent. When this was first eiabor-
ated to the house committee a man
among the members said that 1t re-
minded him of a remark Of Hibern-
ian friend to whom someone predicted
something Of the same sort and told
him the time would come when the
farmer would carry the fertilizer for
an acre Of ground in his vest pocket.
Yes, be jabbers," said Pat, an
yoll carry tn crop in viz other visit
pocket"
Pats fears have not been realized.
Crops of clover, alfalfa, peas ana
other plants are grown with the aid
of the wizard fertilizer fifteen and