Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-04-13
FARM 4N1 4..N5,515' ORCHARD
Notes ana Instructions from Agricultural Colleges Experiment Stations
I" Oregon and Washington Specially Pacific Coast Conditions

this was soon seen to be erroneou
because of the fact already stated
l. e., the coincidence of tubercles AM
health of the crop. The rise of bac
teriology as a science near the mid
die of the last century gave impulse
to the investigation Of soil processes
from the standpoint of bacteria II
was, as a result of this investigation
found that the nodules We're the re
suit of bacterial action. In soil which
is rendered sterile by excessive heat
ing or by the APPLICATION of antiseptics
but which contains all the food ma
terials for plant growth except nitro
gen, it was found that if the soil
were not allowed to become con.
taminated the legumes failed to grow
beyond certain point. If the same
soil were later contaminated or mixed
with earth from a field which had
grown certain legumes, it was found
that growth was luxuriant. This sug-
gested that the process was caused
by live organisms of some sort.
II one Of the nodules from the root
of a legume Is cut open and the con.
tents examined by the aid of a pow
erful microscope it will be discovered
to contain millions of bacteria. 1t is
now known that these bacteria ex-
tract from the air the nitrogen which
they build or help to build up into
plant tissue. Exactly how they do it
is to quite an extent unknown.
Only legumes have the power to
utilize atmospheric nitrogen and these
only by the cooperation of bacteria.
Each legume is thought to have a
special kind of bacterium, although
they are all very closely related, un-
doubtedly. The chemical reaction of
the soil very materially affects the
action of the organisms They will
not thrive in acid soil Consequently
soil which is acid should be lined
before a crop of this nature is grown.
Soil which has never grown leg
umes before or which has not grown
legumes for three or more years may
be inoculated with legume
bacteria as preparation for growing
the crop. This inoculation may be
accomplished in one of two ways:
either by scattering soil from a leg. |
luminous field to the field to be
seeded, or by using a pure culture"
Of the bacterium. This pure cul-
-ure" is simply a growth Of the
bacteria on media or food of some
kind. The culture is sent out In
)ottles which are tightly corked to
prevent entrance of any other or
yanism, and are to be used if possible
within 20 days of their receipt Bac-
eria do not grow well in bright or
liffuse light and soil bacteria do not
hrive at a very warm temperature.
these cultures should
lot be exposed to light or high tenn
,erature for any considerable period
( time. Direct sunlight will kill them
continued for a sufficient period
# time.
The details in the application Of the
,ure culture to the seed are as fol
ows The seed (sixty pounds or less
or each bottle of culture) should be
oaked in water for two hours. The
vater should be drained off and a
ound of granulated sugar per bushel
f seed should be added. Allow this
0 stand for ten hours or more. A
mall quantity of cold water should
e added to the culture bottle and
haken vigorously until the culture is {
Tell broken up. The contents of the
ottle should next be mixed thor
ughly with the seed. This step is !
specially important. Plant the seed !
S soon as it is dry enough to handle
10 not allow the seeds to become t
dry or the bacteria will !
lie. |
Usually small plat should be re- $
erved for uninoculated seed in order
} test the efficiency of the inocula- |
on. The results of experiments to !
ate indicate that this method is q
racticable and of great benefit under S
le conditions stated. 1t is the in. I
,ntion of the Department of Bac b
,riology of the Oregon Experiment Q
tation to send out these cultures l
set of instructions will accompany n
lch shipment and those who take 4
Vantage of the opportunity will be
sked to report the results of their t
ork. o