The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-06-25
GEN.GATHERlNC 6AcTER
IA: THEIR SHAPE IN FARM
FERTILITY
BY Dr. Howard S. Reed, of the Poly
technIc Institute.
Continued from last wsek)

Continued from last week)
Thus it was learned that the supply
of combined nitrogen to the plant
world is maintained through the ac-
tivities Of bacteria. The bacteria
which accomplish this result differ from
all other classes of bacteria, in that
they accomplish an addition of nitrogen
compounds to the resources of the plant
and animal world, and are known,
therefore as nitrogen fixing or nitrogen
gathering bacteria. The nitrogen. fixing
bacteria may be divided broadly into
two classes: those which work alone
and those which form partnerships.
The former live in the soil itself, and
develop there even when no crop is
grown upon it. The latter also grow
in bare soil, but only accomplish pro-
nounced power of gathering atmos-
pheric nitrogen after they have invad-
ed the roots of certain leguminous
plants, and have attained certain de-
velopment there.
LEGUMES AND NITROGEN. C GATHERING
BACTERIA.
1t need hardly be said that legumi-
nous crops like clover have always
shown manifest aptitude to enrich the
soil where they have been grown.
The fact has been commented upon by
such ancient writers as Pliny and Var
rus and many others of subsequent
times. Opinions differed, howev or, as
| to the reason for the soil enriching
qualities of crops like clover. AS time
went on different students came to
more or less universal agreement that
the beneficial effects of leguminous
crops were in some way related to the
formation of small swellings of nodules
upon the roots. The exact nature of
these nodules was for many years a
subject of speculation. Finally, in
1886, at a meeting of scientists in Ber-
lin the problem was solved. DR.. He'll
reigel of Germany, presented proof
that the soil enriching power of legumes
was due to the fact that there was as
sociated with them a countless number
of nitrogen fixing bacteria, and that
the swellings on the roots were caused
by these bacteria In fact, these no
dulles were the the lodging places of
the bacteria. He showed that when
clover or cowpeas were planted IN a
pot of soil where the bacteria had been
killed by previously baking it, no
nodules were formed. When, how
ever pinch of soil from nodule
forming field was added, bacteria were
thereby introduced, and root nodules
presently appeared. Since that time
scientists have been endeavoring to
carry the torch of knowledge into this
particular subject of inquiry The
bacteria have been cultivated and
studied in laboratories, sorted out and
made the recipients of long and we'll
nigh npronounceable names; have
been introduced into fields of almost
all cultivated lands, and their effect
upon the various legumes carefully
studied. Out of the abundance of re.
suits and pseudo.results which have
been obtained a few statements may
be made with certainty, and the others
omitted. We have learned with GER
tainty that the bacteria are more or
less restricted to certain legumes. For
example, the organism that lives in
partnership with peas will not grow
with clover, and the organism which
lives with clover will not grow with
alfalfa nor soy beans. We have also
learned that soil which lacks these or
ganisms may be quickly and densely
populated with them by introducing a
proper inoculating material. This in.
oculating material may be a few cul-
lures from scientists laboratory or a
few loads of soil from neighbours field
where nodules have been produced in