Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-09
Experiment Station at State
College Issues a Warming
to Iowa Farmers
THE sEEDsMEN ARE SCORED
Some unscrupuIous Dealers Take Ad-
vantage Of Information That Has
Been Published and by Distortion of
Facts Seek to Dupe Farmers-some
Facts About Soil Culture.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Ames, March 9-Professor C. F. Cur
tiss, head of the experiment station of
the Iowa State College here, has Just
issued an interesting bulletin calling
attention to the misrepresentation be-
ing practiced upon some farmers by
seedsmen concerning soil incubation.
He says:
"The subject of soil incubation has
received wide attention thruout the
agricultural sections Of the United
States within the past few years. The
value of the leguminous crops in sys-
TENS Of rotation for the maintenance
Of soil fertility and for furnishing MI
trogenous feed for farm stock cannot
be too highly emphasized. In many
sections of the United States the farm
ers have not yet come to full appre-
citation of the value of these crops.
Scientific discoveries concerning the
methods of growth of the leguminous
crops have been of far reaching conse-
quence and of immense value to Amer
lean agriculture. 1t is unfortunate,
however, that some INSCRIPTIONS
seedsmen and dealers in cultures have
taken advantage Of information that
has been published on soil culture and
diverted it to their own use
for personal gain. to the det-
riment of farmers of this and
other states. On account of the mis-
representation concerning this matter
the following correspondence is sub
mitted in the form of press bulletin,
which it is hoped will be given wide
circulation"
The bulletin then quotes letter sent
to the station concerning the extrava-
CANT claims made by seed firm The
writer enclosed a circular which the
firm was sending out which quotes
from the United States year book de-
partment of agriculture, 1906 as fol-
lows:
Nitrogen Culture.
The most wonderful discovery thus
far made in the twentieth century is
that of the nitrogen fixing bacteria for
leguminous plants such as alfalfa, the
clOvers, peas, ETC., by George L. Moore.
of Washington, d. c., and patented by
the government for the benefit of the
people, in March, 1904.
1T cannot be too strongly emphasize
ed that unless the bacteria tubercles
absolutely no more benefit to, a soil
than wheat or potatoes Certain re-:
gions are practically devoid of the right
kind of bacteria and unless some arti-
fetal means of introducing the germs
be resorted to, the crop will be fail2
ure.'' The circular continues:
by inoculating the seed before
planting, the plants produce nitrogen
nodules upon their roots which have
the quality of absorbing pure nitrogen
from the air instead of deriving all OF
their nitrogen from the soil and the
crop from nodule bearing plants.
Varieties of Bacteria.
each particular kind Of legume,
such as alfalfa, clover, peas. etc., re-
ouires a different bacteria in order to
successfully grow nitrogen nodules.
Each package is stamped with the
name of the leguminous plant for which
it is adapted and contains full instruc-
lions for inoculating the seed or
ground.
Price prepaid, one acre package,
$3.50; five acre package, sou.
Professor Curtiss wrote ITO the de-
partment of agriculture and received a
reply which showed the firm making
the alleged soil culture had quoted on
lv a nortion of the article in the year
book and that the context placed
different light upon the question The
denartment,s reply said in part:
Practically Worthless.
1t is a we'll known practice, as you
know. to take advantage of statements
that the department and experiment
stations make and use them for adver-
Using purposes. This is particularly
the case in the matter of the handling
of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides.
ANNA ratus and machinery of various
kinds.
1--WE recognize the fact that in many
parts of the country inoculation is
wholly unnecessary and the purchase
of the material advertised is a waste
of money. This is clearly set forth in
our publications We also recognize
the fact that most of the material adj
practically worthless. We conducted a
series of examinations of the material
that all of the manufacturing firms
were putting on the market last fall
and the early part of the winter, and
as a result found that, with one or two
exceptions, the advertised cultures
were of no value"
Don't Buy Bacteria.
Professor Curtiss concludes his bull
letin as follows:
"These letters indicate clearly the
fraud that is being perpetrated under
the euise of science. The farmers of
Iowa and other states with similar soil
conditions should waste no money buy
ing bacteria. Barn yard manure and
thorough tillage are worth more than
all the nitrogen cultures on the mar
ket. Put the soil in good enough con-
dition to grow seventy-five bushels of
corn per acre; then SOW twenty pounds
of alfalfa seed about the middle of
August, following a crop OF small
grain. and the question OF cultures
will take care of itself"
SCENE sHIFrERs STRIKE.