The sun., 1908-02-16
new WORK FOR BACTERIA
WONDERS DONE WITH PLANTS
~ PROF. BOTTOMLEY.

Gen. Booth for n Law TO Make All Men
Marry---POWer Carried by the Human
VOlcc-The simple Life 1000 Years
AEO-PeGslOns for Turkish BriEandS
-German canal Projects
Trimmed Hats, PcrIumeCl, to Be Worn.
LONDON. Feb. 5-The postponement on
account of the POrtu guese tragedy of the
first court, which was 10 have been held this
week, will be "A great disappointment to
many pretty young debutantes who we're
awaiting nnxiously this official recognition
Of their Introduction 10 society. The
courts we're to have been more brilliant
than usual and the Queen had expected
10 he present at each instead of leaving this
duty to the Princess of Wales as she has
sometimes done.
Now. az the first function has been deh-
nitely cancelled and the court will go into
mourning for a month It would be difficult
10 say when the presentations will be made,
as the King and Queen will certainly take
their trip to Paris by the end Of the month.
In Queen Sictoria's time the postponement
OF a court would not have caused much dis
appointment. as a presentation in those
days was long and dull reception and be-
ing held in the afternoon had none OF the
sparkle and brillisnce Of the evening affairs
which the present King has instituted.
Few people have any idea OF the amount
OF care taken in the matter OF presentations
at court Although the late Queen was
exceedingly strict in the exclusion Of un-
desirable people from her courts. the list.
az any rate during the latter years Of her
reign, received much less royal supervision
than II does now.
King Edward goes through the entire
list of applications presented TO him by
the Lord Chamberlain and scrutinizes il
thoroughly. Everything is so much more
comfortably and splendidly arranged than
formerly that presentation is no longer
the purgatorial infiction il was.
This court was to have been very Ameri-
can, for the two brides Of the winter. Miss
Anne Breese. who is now Lady Alastair
Innes-Ker, and Miss PadelfOrd. who has
recently become the Hon. Mrs. Grosvenor.
we're TO make their bow to royalty, and
there were besides a number OF debu-
tsntes who had been promised such spon-
aors from their own country asthe Duchess
of Roxburghe and Mrs. Whitelaw Reid.
The Kings partiality for Americans is
we'll known and he always seeks to honor
them in every way that he can. Many q
pretty American girl who was nervous
during the ordeal Of her presentation has
had a special greeting and kindly word
from the King as she bowed before him.
Prof. Bottomley has at last revealed
q mystery which he has been nursing for
many months. He has been working on
a theory that has been held for nearly
twenty years. that the growth OF plants
depends largely on the presence OF bao-
lBTia. somo In the soil and some on the
roots.
These bacteria are OF many sorts. The
most mysterious group has the power OF
extracting free nitrogen from the air and
transferring this essential substance to
clovers beans and other legumes.
A special colony Of these has been under
the microscope in Kings College for the
laat six months. and the first photograph
was shown by Prof. Bottomley yesterday
As the spectacle of the dots on the roots
appeared every man Of science in the hall
cheered for they revealed a new marvel.
The bacteria after years of inquiry have
been. actually and visbly harnessed to a
new work. and Prof. Bottomley is the first
man 20 attach these nitrogen fixers to plants
which are not legumnous By watering
the roots or seeds of tomatoes Strawberries.
wheat. barley and oats with bacteria
solution he has increased their growth by
something like third.
IL is yet more important that the matur-
Ity is immensely accelerated. A gardener
Rs a result of using a bacterial solution
has sold beans in Covent Garden market
six weeks after the seed was sown-an
achievement that seems miraculous.
By inoculating the seed Of clover several
crops have been increased by IS per cent
on barren ground, at the cost OF ~ cents
an acre. and it is said that this system Of
inoculating seeds and soil may convert the
toughest moorland into good agricultural
land. worth S25 or $50 an acre.
II. as Prof Bottomley thinks this can
he done also for wheat, fruit and Brussels
sprouts. we have one Of the most important
discoveries made in years.
Ii was announced at a meeting OF the con-
vocation of Canterbury yesterday that the
campaign carried on by the bishops and
clergy for the suppression Of gambling on
horse races was to he actively continued
The Bishop Of Hereford announced that the
subcommittee on betting and gambling
which had helped to pass the act fOrbidding
betting in the streets was now turning its
attention to the publication OF betting lists
in the newspapers.
Il has also been endeavoring to find some
means Of preventing the publication Of the
choices Of the tipsters which appear in
newspapers. The question OF stopping
she circulation through the Post ONCE Of
BROOKLYN ADVERTISEMENT.