Macon beacon., 1917-04-20

IPRuIneS.
SolI-Transfer Method.
A practical and effective method Of
introducing lnocuatlon Is to transport
soil from field containing the bac-
terra needed. Soil from fields of al
falfa, sweet clover and bur clover Is
interchangeable as regards inocula-
ton; likewise from fields Of red, al
sike, crimson and white clovers; also
from fields Of the vetches and field
peas. In the case Of cowpeas and soy
beans, however, each requires It's par
tlcular strain Of bacteria for inocula-
tion. Soil for incubation should be
free from obnoxious weeds. It should
be taken from tl& first five or six
inches Of the surface and spread at
the rate Of 200 to 400 pounds per acre
on the field to be sOwn. NOdule bac-
terla nre killed by much strong sun
light so the inOculating soil should
be spread during cloudiness, early
morning, or late afternoon, and har-
rowed in soon after.
Soi-Coatlng Method.
Where inoculating soil Is scarce
economy may be practiced by making
thin mixture Of chip glue and water,
sprlnkllng this over the seed to be
sOwn at the rate Of about quart Of
the liquor to bushel Of seed, then
mixing enough of dry, inoculated soil
with the seed to make It sufficiently
dry to SOW WELL The inoculated soil
thus becomes coated over the sur
face of the seed and Is carried into the
soil with the seed.
Leoumes and Cropping Systems.
Legumlnous plants, because Of their
relation to nitrogen-hxing bacteria, are
called nitrogen gatherers. If legumi-
nous crops are not grown as a part Of
the cropping system Of farm, the
nitrogen supply Of the soil is apt to
become depleted, especially where nj
trogenous fertilizers are not purchased
and freely used. The latter way of
keeping up the nitrogen is expensive
and Is seldom profitable, except for
truck gardening or other intensive
farming. The safer and more practi.
cal way in most instances Is to MAIN
tain the supply Of nitrogen by growing
legumes, which, besides furnishing nj
trogen, keep up the needed humus sup
ply in the soil. Every second to fourth
crop in the rotation should be legu-
minous, depending upon whether the
soil is generally fertile; whether the
crops Of the farm are chiefly sold or
fed, and, in the latter case, whether
the manure produced is carefully pre-
served and returned to the soil.
The place which legumlnous crops
should occupy in any cropping system
must depend upon the crops Of the ro-
tatlon, the length Of the growing sea-
son, and the legumes grown. The best
returns are realized, as rule, by fol-
lowing legumes with strong-growing
cultivated crops, such as corn, cotton.
potatoes or tobacco. Winter grain
crops may we'll follow cowpens or soy
beans, and the nitrogen which is fixed
in the soil by the legumes Is valuable
to the early growth Of these grain
crops.
From the farming standpoint legu.
minous crops may be classified in
three groups: (D Warm-season annu-
ais, which include cowpeas, soy beans,
peanuts and velvet beans; (2) cool.
season ANNALS, such as crimson clo-
yer, bur clover, hairy vetch and field
peas: and (3) biennlals and peren.
malls, including alfalfa, sweet clover,
alsike clover, red clover and white
clover. The purpose which the legume
is to serve on the farm must determine
from which group 1t should be selected.