Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-29

found upon the fine roots or attached to
the larger roots by short branch. The
| single nodules are commonly about the
size and shape OF an alfalfa seed, but in
| exceptional cases they may be larger
than "A kernel of wheat often two or
more nodulcs are attached at II common
! nOint and radlatc like fan, AT times
] an irregular shaped mass is formed
| from which the nodules radiate, rosem-
bling the palm and fingers of the hand.
In some fields there Is an abundant
formation OF Hiant clusters. often q
| hnlf-inch across. In which large num-
bors OF the individual nodules arc set
together in mass iadiating from
common center, mt which they are at
tached TO a fine root.
Tho prevailing color of tho young
growing nodulc Is white, often with a
tlnge Of green at one end, The older
nodules are darker in color. possibly
through staining by the soil solution.
Tho nodules are most easily found dur
ing the first two seasons since the root
systems are then comparatively near
the surface. With each succeeding soa-
son the fine roots are at greater
depths ana the difficulty In finding no.
dulles Is proportionutely Increased.
II is best to dig up a block Of earth
containing the plant to be examined;
then II the soil Is in the proper condi-
ton, the dirt may be carefully removed
from the roots If the soil Is hard and
dry, il is best to use water In separat-
ing the dirt from the roots. Where
plants are pulled up bodily the nodules
uniformly remain in the ground. The
number Of nodules will often vary
greatly on adjoining plants and a con-
siderable number of plants should be
examined before concluding as to the
of incubation present in a field.
In the West. az we have said, these
which are filled with myriads
OF the microscopic bacteria peculiar to
Ieguminous plants, grow naturally. and
are always found upon tho roots of this
class of folders. But in the East, the
nodules do not appear; and there the
alfalfa refuses to grow. or at least
does not thrive; until the soil has been
with germs. This is accom- |
plished by simple operation which |
commonly consists Of spreading soil |
from good alfalfa fields over the land |
upon which 1t is desired to grow lucern |
the application OF inoculating |
soil to peat lands many such waste
places, abundant in Europe, have been
reclaimed.
The extent to which incubation has |
become a part OF the farm practice in |
this country can DO judged from the |
fact that over 1900 farmers have OBJ
aimed soil for inoculating alfalfa from
l single commercial source in New
York within the past five years.
From the very first ii was appreciated
hat the use of soil for carrying the de-
tired bacteria from one field 10 an
'ther was a crude and inconvenient
method; and investigators set about
solating the bacteria called Ps. radici-
ola, and propagating them in pure
cultures. These living cultures are ap-
died to the seed to be sown They
ire furnished by some of the expert
nent stations. or are sold as CONNER
'ial fertilizers. But the main reliance
Is still placed upon the practice of scat
tering inoculated soil over the ground |
to be treated. And wherever inoculat-
ing soil has been applied TO carefully |
selected ground, the successful growing |
of alfalfa in the East becomes almost !
as certain as that of any other COM
mon crop. But before attention had |
been given to incubation, alfalfa grow
Ing was quite generally looked upon as
u hopeless undertaking