The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1912-01-12
"soIL BAcTERIA-THE FARMERS
FRIEND
By Theodore Day Beckwith, Professor
RacterioloRY O. A. c.

BY Theodore Day Beckwith, Professor Of
Bacteriology o. A. G.
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor
Wallis, Oregon.-It has been sstated
by certain authorities that the soil is
a great workshop and this statement
is well founded on fact because re-
cent development during the last
twenty years particularly, have shown
definitely that every farmer who tills
his land properly Is raising a great
crop which he cannot see, the magni-
tude of which he little understands,
and the volume of which, numerically
speaking, is far beyond his possible
conception. Likewise, another author
ity recently has told us that the
farmer who follows the older meth
DDS, and many of them still do follow
them, is simply miner who is delv-
ing into the soil, removing from it
the fertility and its wealth without re-
placing 1t properly. Thus man may
be raising this great crop which he
knows little about, and at the same
time may be undoing its work as
rapidly as he can.
1t will surprise many to know that
soil is filled, in its upper layers, with
small growing plants, altogether too
minute to be seen with the naked eye.
These plants are called germs, or
bacteria, and upon their successful
and well-regulated activities depends
much of the fertility Of the soil. In
fact, although a farmer naturally
thinks that by his plowing, harrow
ing, under drainage, ETC., he is work
ling directly toward lettering his
crops, in reality the benefit is OBJ
tained indirectly, for, he is bettering
the conditions for the growth of these
bacteria upon which depends much
of the fertility of the soil.
! 1t has been found that In the layer
of soil which is most densely filled
with these germs, or microbes, there
are approximately three hundred mil.
lion germs per ounce of dry fertile
soil. When one considers the fact
that the first six inches of soil per
acre will weigh nine hundred tons,
one can, If he feels mathematically
inclined, arrive at some idea of the
extent of this crop which he is cul
tivating but which he never sees.
These bacteria are, as has been
stated, exceedingly small. They are
so microscopic that approximately
twelve thousand of them might be
placed together, just touching each
other, end to end, and the line would
be about one inch long. Most OF
them are little rods, possibly twice as
long as they are wide, consequently
one may also arrive at some possible
conclusion as to how many would be
necessary to make pile large enough
to be seen with the naked eye, re.
membering that an average human
eye does not distinguish anything
4 readily which is smaller than .005 OF
an inch.
Also 1t must be borne in mind that
each single germ is living organism
having it's own processes OF life, per
forming its own duty, subject to gen
eral. changes in its life history just as
the higher animals and plants under
| go change.
People generally have a misconcep
tion concerning bacteria; they asso
ciate germs with diseases, when as 9
matter of fact a very small proper
ton of the entire number of bacteria
ever produce diseases. Just as there
| are thousands of kinds of plants, sc
there are many kinds of germs, which
| indeed are but very low plants
speaking now from the standpoint O
classification. Because there are
few poisonous herbs like poison iv!
we do not consider that all shrubs
are harmful to health and produc'
diseases, and there Is no more reason
: for considering that bacteria produc
: diseases simply because there are
, few transgressors in this respect i
I | the total number known. On tn
other hand, germs produce a grea
deal of good In the world; they re
our flax so that we are able to pre-
duce fine linen; they cause our mil
to sour instead of undergoing othe
changes which sometimes take plac
instead of ordinary souring and whicl
make such milk poisonous; they caus
| garbage and other offal, thrown OF
; the soil so carelessly In most rura
communities, to disappear, and there
by they are preserving health; II
fact, our very life depends upon then
because occurring in such immens'
quantities in the intestines as the,
do they are very beneficial helpers II
, the processes of digestion of food
. Likewise 1t is through their actor
that soil is rendered fertile, that !
becomes enriched in nitrogen, car
donates, sulfates and humus.
? Speaking now more particularly o
: bacteria In relation to the soil itsell
b we may see that they are governe,
D by certain physical conditions an
laws, and upon these points depend
the success of the ordinary farmer
methods of tilling and cultivating. i
: the first place. the ordinary bacteri
: which produce humus require all
Q Some kinds of bacteria there ar
8 which grow better without the pre'
/: ence OF free air, but almost all 9
r those which work to the best advaI
+ tage In soil depend upon an ope
a texture, consequently we find that
hard and compact soil does not tur
black as readily, Is not as fertile as
soil which is laid open and light. al